Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board

Opening Remarks

Mr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith

Deputy Secretary-General,

Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board

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Mr. Shengman Zhang, Managing Director of the World Bank

Mr. Ian Poter, Country Director of the World Bank Office in Thailand

Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a privilege to have the opportunity to deliver an opening remark in the dissemination seminar of the Thailand: Investment Climate, Firm Competitiveness and Growth Report today. I would like to thank the World Bank for co-hosting this important workshop and being our partner in this study.

As you all know, the Government of Thailand has been pursuing on-going workto improveThailand’s competitiveness. Improving competitiveness is also a key agenda in Thailand’s next five-year National Economic and Social Development Plan. Improving competitiveness in a country like Thailand with a large and thriving business community largely means improving firm’s productivity and value creation.

Having a favorable investment climate and business environment are crucial for firms in raising their productivity and competitiveness. Therefore, investment climate indicators, which allow Thailand to benchmark itself with other countries, would provide us the valuable information needed for the formulation of policies and business strategies so that the government and the business community can work effectively together to tackle the key investment climate constraints to business’ operations and growth.

Realizing the importance of improving Thailand’s investment climate, the NESDB together with the World Bank began the study of Thailand Investment Climate, Firm Competitiveness and Growth 2 years ago. The Report provides a rigorous analysis of Thailand’s investment climate as well as benchmarks our investment climate with competitors. It involves a survey of over 1,300 firms in all regions of Thailand, which was conducted by the Foundation of Thailand Productivity Institute.

Today’s seminar is therefore a valuable opportunity for all of us to hear the findings of the report, and to provide comments and suggestions on how we can best improve Thailand’s investment climate. I believe that by working together, we will be able to improve our investment climate, which will benefit businesses as well as Thailandas a whole.

I would therefore encourage you to voice your comments and suggestions after the presentation of the report findings by Dr. Kazi Matin.

Finally, on behalf of the NESDB, I would like to thank you all for attending the seminar, and I would also like to express my thanks to the World Bank, the Foundation of Thailand Productivity Institute, and the NESDB staff for their hard work on the study. I hope that you will all find the seminar a fruitful one.

Thank you.

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