Pm Makes Field Trip To Help Tsunami-hit Businesses

[george]

PM makes field trip to help tsunami-hit entrepreneurs

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to lead top officials of the Finance Ministry to the tsunami-affected southern Andaman provinces to heed problems facing entrepreneurs there and help them resume business before the high season late this year.

Permanent Secretary for Finance Suparat Kawatkul disclosed that the premier, accompanied by Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and top officials concerned, would visit Khao Lak Merlin Hotel in Phang-nga to take heed of what hoteliers had suffered in the legacy of the tsunami tragedy, and what they wanted the government to help.

The move is aimed to find an effective way to enable the entrepreneurs to resume their business in the October-November period when a large number of tourists are expected to arrive.

He said the ministry and state agencies concerned would attempt to help recover businesses of the entrepreneurs as a whole through the financial support of more than 65 million baht.

Officials would listen to problems the entrepreneurs had experienced on a case-by-case basis and try to seek common understanding, particularly of ways to give assistance through the Tsunami SME Fund and the Tsunami Recovery Fund.

Mr. Suparat said most entrepreneurs still misunderstood that their businesses would be seized when they entered into a joint venture with the funds.

He clarified that the two funds are not allowed to hold more than 50% of the joint venture; so, they would not have an absolute power in the joint venture.

However, the entrepreneurs must understand that fund managers’ need to take into account performance results of each business to see how to recover their businesses, he said.

--TNA 2005-02-16