FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

PM says govt ready to back cosmetics industry's global foray

PM says govt ready to back cosmetics industry's global foray

The government is ready to help the Thai cosmetics industry towards international standards, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said at a fair marking the 50th anniversary of the industry in Thailand.

The event in Bangkok was organised by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and other agencies to promote Thai herbal cosmetics to international markets. 
More than 90 per cent of Thai cosmetics firms are small and medium-sized enterprises. They need state assistance through the Cosmetics Act, international trade negotiations, patent rights registration, Thai wisdom patent protection, tax incentives and logistics support to grow and become competitive in the international arena, Yingluck said. 
The government will support research and development efforts to boost the quality of Thai herbal products and cosmetics, as well as laboratories and essential equipment, she said. It must also listen to the problems of the private sector in order to respond more effectively to consumers’ demands. 
The prime minister said she would also would like to see Thai firms sell merchandise along with the provision of quality service, as well as utilising the Internet (e-commerce) to sell their products and services. 
Yingluck said she believed that the Thai cosmetics industry had good growth potential especially in the middle-income groups and as consumers become more health conscious. 
FTI chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol said the cosmetics industry was a strong segment, well accepted internationally for its connections with other industries, such as chemical products, herbal products, pharmaceuticals and logistics. 
Hence the FTI has established cluster products for health benefits to foster exchanges of information that would benefit from new innovations to ensure competitiveness in the international markets. 
Yingluck said the government’s planned investment in basic transport infrastructure would play a vital role in helping local SMEs and the country itself achieve its “Vision 2020” objectives in the next seven years, as well as turning Thailand into a gateway linking Asean nations with global markets. 
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