Business Development Dept to enhance cooperation with trade associations
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Deputy Commerce Minister Nuttawut Saikuar said yesterday that the Department of Business Development would draw up strategies for cooperation with the country's 2,211 trade associations.
He made the remark after honouring 17 outstanding trade associations and five excellent enterprises at an event promoting Thai businesses’ moves towards the Asean Economic Community.
Of Thailand’s 2,211 trade associations, 673 or 30 per cent are in Bangkok and 1,538 in other provinces.
He said the plan would emphasise developing small and medium-sized enterprises so that they would be able to compete in the seamless market among Asean countries.
The department will also support an enhanced role of trade associations as centres for solving the problems their particular sectors encounter.
For instance, it will cooperate with the Jewellery and Precious Metal Confederation of Thailand to help it prevent theft during exploration for raw materials in Mozambique.
He said the Foreign Ministry planned to establish an embassy in Mozambique to make it easier to assist Thai enterprises operating in the southeast African country.
Also, the Thai government will support the acquisition of gemstones and other raw materials in Thailand to help traders deal with shortages, Natthawut said.
