Somkid orders rural market development

Following a meeting at the ministry yesterday, Somkid said the domestic economy would play a key role in driving the country’s growth.
The Commerce Ministry should therefore strengthen the economy around the Kingdom by developing local markets for the more efficient promotion of growth in each area, he said. 
“The ministry needs to brainstorm with provincial offices in regard to setting up a general central market and a speciality central market in key provinces, while developing local community markets to link with tourism and e-commerce so that such markets can grow strongly and stand on their own two feet,” he explained.
The deputy PM instructed the ministry to draw a market-development plan within the next three to six months, so that it could begin to stimulate the local economy this year.
The market plan will be developed under the Pracha Rath (State of People) project, while the government will use funding from the central budget to develop the markets, he added.
The planned main central market in each key province will trade in general goods, while each specialty central market will be developed to sell a local product for the area, such as seafood, rice, silk, textiles, garments or fruits.
Somkid said that unlike other markets, the market plan under the Pracha Rath project would be promoted in linkage with local tourism and e-commerce. 
The market-development project will be coordinated among the Commerce Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, and local governors. 
Meanwhile, in regard to concern about rising oil prices, Somkid has ordered the Commerce Ministry to stringently monitor goods prices and ensure fair practice between consumers and manufacturers.
To take care of low-income earners, the ministry is securing the cooperation of consumer-goods manufacturers for the production of low-cost essential goods such as cooking oil, toothpaste and soap.  
Deputy Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said about 20 items would be selected and produced as a new brand under the Pracha Rath project for sale to low-income earners. 
The price of these items will be 15-20 per cent lower than current goods prices, while they will only be sold at local traditional shops as an alternative channel to help those on low incomes, he said.
The deputy minister stressed that the government would not itself operate low-price stores under this aspect of the Pracha Rath project, limiting its involvement to getting the cooperation of manufacturers to produce cheap goods under the scheme. 
The ministry will, however, increase the number of Noo Nich cheap-price food shops from 12,500 to 20,000 this year, Sontirat added.