War room brings commerce chief and TCC together to tackle economic challenges
A war room in which Thailand’s responses to economic challenges will be hatched is about to be established by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanavisith and the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC).
The war room will monitor economic trends and developments in the trade war between the superpowers, Jurin said.
Among its other functions, the war room’s participants will seek to speed up talks and deals with Thailand’s international partners, including for those related to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and other free-trade agreements, the minister said.
Also in focus will be border trade and import-export flows between Thailand and countries in the CLMV grouping: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, said Jurin, who is concurrently a deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs.
A joint committee will be set up between the ministry and the chamber to work on future amendments to rules and regulations deemed outdated or problematic to current business practices, Jurin said, adding that the chamber has proposed helping to coordinate nationwide trade and marketing efforts for fruit grown by Thai farmers.
Chamber chairman Kalin Sarasin called for an increase in border trade volume at two key checkpoints in Mae Hong Son and Tak provinces bordering Myanmar, along with one each in Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram, and Trat, all of which border Cambodia.
Kalin said all issues discussed by the ministry and the chamber would be brought up in the next Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee (JPPSCC) meeting scheduled for August 14.