The government continues to express its confidence that this year’s export growth target will be achieved in spite of the debt crisis in Europe.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Saturday that the government has always considered the export industry a major engine in driving the country’s growth and that it is imperative to push the industry to achieve a growth rate of 15 percent in 2012.

The PM conceded that the impact of the flood crisis in late 2011 and the Eurozone debt crisis have worried the government about how to hit the planned export growth target.

Therefore, a taskforce has been set up to monitor the situation and the Saturday meeting of the taskforce has discussed ways to prepare the export industry for both direct and indirect impacts of the European crisis.

For long-term solutions, the taskforce has suggested all involved to find new markets with potential, to improve the quality of Thai products while boosting the country’s productivity, and to further improve labor skills as well as to provide more sources of fund for businesses that may be in need.

The Prime Minister also stressed that, with the determination of the government and close collaboration between state and private sectors, the export growth target of 15 percent will be finally achieved.

She also suggested the Thai business sector to prepare itself to take advantage from the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, when access to neighboring markets will be easier.

Source: http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255507010006