Up north and beyond into Thailand, much is happening, economically. BIMP-Eaga has been around too long and nothing much of a headway had come out of it.
Saturday, 19 December 2009
Ministry vows to make region a trade hub
Via Bangkok Post: The Commerce Ministry has vowed to turn the violence-plagued provinces in the deep South into a commercial and investment hub in collaboration with neighbouring Malaysia.
Thailand and Malaysia would jointly develop five economic areas in five southern provinces of Thailand and five neighbouring cities in the northern region of Malaysia, said Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot.
He visited Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat yesterday to listen to what the local business sectors in the region as well as their Malaysian counterparts had to say about the joint economic development policies of both countries.
The five economic areas to be developed are trade, tourism, investment, logistics and the halal business, said Mr Alongkorn.
Business operators in Narathiwat told Mr Alongkorn to encourage the government to extend them soft loans and push to set up a large new trade centre.
Pot Phaibunkasemsuk, president of the Southern Border Provinces Chamber of Commerce, said the local business operators wanted the government to accelerate implementation of those economic relief measures the cabinet has approved for operators affected by southern violence.
The chamber also wanted the government to subsidise the expansion of NGV stations and financially support heavy truck operators in the restive areas to convert to gas-fuelled vehicles in order to bring down transport costs.
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