Newly appointed Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn has vowed to tackle trade obstacles to private enterprise, stimulating border trade and faltering exports.
Outlining her policies yesterday, she said her ministry was committed to working closely with all other economic ministries to facilitate exports and border trade.
The efforts should show results in three months, Mrs Apiradi said.
She was promoted from deputy commerce minister in the recent cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Mrs Apiradi, 66, has spent nearly all her working life at the Commerce Ministry.
Her last post was deputy permanent secretary in the Foreign Trade Department after a reassignment from director-general in 2011 during the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.
Many saw the move as a demotion and unfair since Mrs Apiradi had only a few months left before she retired.
Mrs Apiradi is committed in her new role to reducing people's cost of living, overseeing product prices, developing local economies and improving government services.
A special task force will be set up to work with other ministries to tackle farm product prices and boost exports. More action to develop the One Tambon One Product scheme is needed in order to enhance the export capability of its products.
The ministry also intends to promote geographical indication (GI) registration for Thai products and promote their shipments. A GI is a distinctive sign used to identify a product as originating in the territory of a particular country, region or locality, where its quality, reputation or other characteristics are linked to its geographical origin.
GI certification reflects the unique characteristics and quality of the product, and most buyers in developed countries are willing to pay higher prices.
Doi Chang and Doi Tung, two well-known coffee varieties made from beans cultivated in the hills of Chiang Rai, won GI certification from the EU last month.
They are only the second and third Thai products to win GI certification after Khao Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong Hai rice was granted the status in March 2013.
Mrs Apiradi also pledged to promote the service sector, which covers film, fashions, lifestyle, health and beauty, logistics, retail and franchising. She said exports of Thai goods were becoming saturated and unlikely to enjoy double-digit growth as in the past.
The Commerce Ministry on Thursday reported exports in July fell for a seventh consecutive month but at a slower pace thanks to recovering automotive shipments.
Exports fell by 3.56% year-on-year last month to US$18.2 billion. The contraction rate is a slowdown from June's 7.87% year-on-year decline, which was the biggest drop in exports since an 8.15% fall in December 2011.
For the first seven months, shipments totalled $125 billion, down by 4.66% year-on-year.
Suvit Maesincee, the new deputy commerce minister, said it would be the first time economic ministries including the Science and Technology Ministry had worked in an integrated manner to tackle economic issues and address community economic weaknesses.
“Our [the economic cabinet's] initial focus will be on how to stimulate spending in rural areas,” he said. “The efforts to promote local trade, investment and employment should be beefed up.”
The ministry will meet with exporters next week to discuss how to boost exports along with measures such as packing credits to ease exporters' liquidity problems, Mr Suvit added.