Somkid confident Thai GDP to grow more than 4% this year

BANGKOK, March 30 (TNA) -- Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak told an academic conference at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) that the Thai economy would expand by more than 4% this year. He based his prediction on growing export, tourism and foreign exchange reserves of Thailand. As the economy was recovering, it was important to make the growth sustainable, he said. Mr Somkid told the academic conference which marked the 52th anniversary of NIDA that young people and the private sector should help support national development and reform; otherwise, the national economy would stop growing. He also said that China was not emphasizing the growth of its gross domestic product but was focusing on the quality of its economic growth, the reduction of social inequality, innovation and the value addition of products. Sustainability became an important issue of economic development, Mr Somkid said. He added that Thailand had to prepare its human resources to meet the demand of foreign operators who were investing in the country. (TNA)