Service centre planned to help SMEs access Asean markets

Director-general Piramol Charoenpao said his department in cooperation with private enterprises, financial houses, educational and research institutions, and legal and accounting consultants would set up an “AEC Trade and Investment Service Centre” soon.
The centre will aim to help SMEs access information and learn how to penetrate Asean markets. It will also encourage SMEs to reap maximum benefits from the Asean Economic Community once it gets fully under way in 2015.
“Many enterprises, both local and foreign, are seeking opportunities to penetrate Asean markets. SMEs, which are the Kingdom’s key economic drivers, should learn how to develop themselves so as to benefit from the Asean integration as well,” Piramol said.
The service centre will also exchange information with enterprises to learn about their problems so that the government can help them increase their efficiency.
The department is scheduled to hold a seminar titled “Post AEC: Future of the Thai Economy under the Market Liberalisation after 2015” from July 24 to August 1 to educate enterprises about Asean and help them increase trade and investment in the region.
Meanwhile, the Board of Trade of Thailand found that Thai SMEs have faced problems in three main areas: higher production costs, lack of financial liquidity, and too little investment in reducing costs and increasing revenue.
Deputy secretary-general Kalin Sarasin said the board would help SMEs increase their competency to ensure they survive amid slowing economic growth.
As a priority measure, the board will set up training programmes for SMEs, provide advice and cooperate with the International Trade Promotion Department to seek new markets for them.
In a separate matter, Kasikornbank and the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (Osmep) have introduced the “SMEs Undeterred by Wage Increase” programme, offering a 6-percentage-point reduction in loan interest to assist 12 industries in 51 provinces affected by the six-month-old increase in the minimum wage. The service aims to increase SMEs’ liquidity.
The 12 industries are textiles and garments; food and beverages; metal products; restaurants and food shops; lumber, wooden products and cork; construction; rubber and plastic; retail trade; hotels; transport; automotive, motorcycle and refuelling services; and furniture and jewellery accessories.
Pipavat Bhadranavik, first senior vice president of KBank, said SMEs applying for this programme would be given a 3-percentage-point lending-rate discount upon credit approval. They can choose from three types of instalment plans with a three-month grace period, a privilege given exclusively by KBank. The first 700 existing SME customers of KBank to apply for this programme will be offered an additional 3-point reduction in the interest rate funded by Osmep, for a total reduction of 6 percentage points.
Chawan Svasti-xuto, deputy director-general acting on behalf of the director-general of Osmep, said that with a budget of Bt193 million, his office was offering the interest-rate-decrease programme for SMEs affected by the rise in the minimum daily wage to Bt300. It believes the programme will help businesses manage their operating costs efficiently and maintain employment in the manufacturing, retail-wholesale trade and service sectors.
“We expect at least 6,300 SMEs to participate in the programme,” he said.