Thailand to Cooperate With Japan in SMEs, IT DevelopmentThe Thai government is interested in joining hands with Japan in promoting and developing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and information technology (IT), Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Friday.Thaksin raised the issue when he met with a group of Japanese business leaders from the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren) here, according to the Thai News Agency (TNA). The Japanese business leaders paid a visit to Thailand between February 18 and 20, and held talks with the Thai leader. Thaksin told the group that his administration would address the problem of rural poverty by not only making use of Thailand's strength in agriculture, but also developing the community economy and SMEs. He called for Japan's cooperation in the initiative by investing more in Thai SMEs projects. The Thai leader also urged Tokyo to cooperate with Thailand in IT development, indicating that his administration would also make use of IT to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The government would install and link the internet with various communities in provincial areas to promote and facilitate the utilization of IT, he stated. When rural people become stronger in their agricultural production, the overall Thai economy will benefit, and this will lead to sustainable development in the country, he added. IT is believed to help enhance production and efficiency of the agricultural sector in the future, he noted. Thaksin, who is also leader of the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party, declared that his government would support personnel training in both the public and private sectors on IT for national development. |
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