Thailand's SMEs Pro-active, phase 3, launched

BANGKOK, September 5 (TNA) - Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion, under the Ministry of Commerce, has launched its SMEs Pro-active Program, phase 3, for the 2019-2021 fiscal year, during which operators of SMEs in the country will be developed from the size "S" to the sizes "M" and "L" with their enhanced potential on global business platforms. Thai Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong presided over a ceremony to launch the SMEs Pro-active Program, phase 3, in Bangkok on Wednesday in the pursuit of its phase 1 and phase 2, aimed to boost Thai exports from local SMEs by over 7 billion baht over the next couple of years. Under the SMEs Pro-active Program, the ministry's Department of International Trade Promotion has worked together with the private sector, including the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Board of Trade of Thailand (BTT), the Thai National Shippers' Council (TNSC) and the Thai Bankers Association (TBA), to support participating SMEs to take part in potential international trade fairs and activities to promote their products and increase their exports. The SMEs Pro-active Program, phase 1, supported more than 2,600 operators of Thai SMEs with their total export value of about 8.6 billion baht or over 269 million US dollars, while the phase 2 supported operators of about Thai 1,750 SMEs with their total export value of about 6.96 billion baht or about 211 million US dollars. For the phase 3, operators of SMEs taking part in the phase 1 and phase 2 are also welcome based on a new "set zero" rule, but SMEs participating in the phase 3 are required to have the corporate status with their export value set at no higher than 500 million baht each over the past three years. Besides, operators of startups are welcome to take part in the SMEs Pro-active Program, phase 3, in which all participating SMEs will be promoted to join six overseas trade exhibitions, together with a financial support of 200,000 baht each at the maximum, and other business opportunities and partnership, together with a financial support of 200,000 baht each at the maximum as well. The online business management system, including the development of the online database for the processes of application of SMEs, evaluation and following-up, will also be adopted into the SMEs Pro-active Program, phase 3, to facilitate participating SMEs, which complies with the e-government policy. (TNA)