Thai PM urges to raise national competitiveness

BANGKOK, April 5 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has urged both the Thai public and private sectors to help enhance national competitiveness, as part of the country's preparations for the formation of the ASEAN Community (AC) by 2015. Yingluck made the call when she launched an AC-related training program for senior executives from the local public and private sectors in Bangkok on Friday. During her speech at the inauguration of the training program, Yingluck suggested that the local public and private sectors exchange their knowledge to boost national competitiveness, noting that Thailand, as a transport hub in the region, should maximize national benefits from the status to generate more national income and to further develop the national economy. The prime minister pointed out that the formation of the Single Community of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will create a regional market of up to some 600 million consumers and Thailand should, therefore, make the best use of its free trade agreements or FTAs and tax privileges with neighboring countries because, as a middle income country, Thailand will then lose tax privileges with other countries. The Thai premier also recommended that local business operators source raw materials from neighboring countries for domestic production for exports, and that they improve their workers’ skills and the connection of Thai infrastructural networks with those of other countries in the region and upgrade border checkpoints. The Thai prime minister acknowledged that cultural similarities of countries in the region and improved transport networks among them will also help promote national and regional tourism. (TNA)