Ubon ratchathani: The Ministry of Commerce is swiftly moving to support entrepreneurs affected by the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border. Minister of Commerce Mr. Chatuporn Buruspat, accompanied by Deputy Minister Mr. Chantawit Tantasith, led a delegation to Ubon Ratchathani Province, where they distributed 1,000 relief bags to those impacted at two temporary shelters in Det Udom District.
According to Thai News Agency, the government is prioritizing relief efforts for citizens, especially those unable to return to their homes in border areas. Mr. Chatuporn has directed the Department of Internal Trade to expedite the procurement of essential supplies. The Ministry of Commerce is also preparing measures to assist affected businesses, including soft loans to enhance liquidity, finding new markets, and negotiating cost-effective logistics routes.
The Ministry has noted that prices for agricultural products like cassava are currently about 10% lower than last year despite increased export volumes. In response, they are coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to enhance production quality and promote processing into animal feed and other products. Additionally, efforts are underway to reduce costs associated with fertilizers, pesticides, and labor.
Efforts to find new markets for Thai products are being accelerated to mitigate the loss of income from the border trade, which exceeds 400-500 million baht per day. The focus is on maintaining existing markets while expanding into new ones to aid in the economic recovery of the border areas.
Mr. Chatuporn emphasized the importance of national solidarity and support, stating, “The policy I’ve given to the ministry is: Thais make, Thais use, Thais help Thais. We must help distribute goods from border areas to markets nationwide, encouraging Thais to support Thai products. And importantly, Thais must not abandon one another.”
The delegation also attended a meeting at Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Hall to monitor the border trade situation and later visited Sapphasitthiprasong Hospital to deliver essential supplies to patients affected by the incident.