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The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), jointly with Thai Listed Companies Association (TLCA), has today organized the special event with Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak as a keynote speaker to address financial and capital market synergy to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. The event underlined SET’s strategic plan to enhance SMEs’ quality and capability, driving the new S-curve growth of the Thai economy.
Top executives of the SET100 companies (large-cap companies) and those in financial and capital markets and government sector gathered together to exchange viewpoints. The event was also participated by Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong and Bank of Thailand Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob to discuss key issues.
SET President Kesara Manchusree stated, “In line with the government’s economic policies, SET is committed to supporting and strengthening the capabilities of SMEs, start-ups and social enterprises (SEs) to utilize the capital market as the source of funds to accelerate business growth. SET encourages listed firms to support SMEs currently involving in their supply chains. SET also enhances knowledge so that the firms can operate successfully and sustainably, while the Thai bourse itself also set up a Social Impact Portal to promote SEs directly.”
Currently, many SET-listed companies have already supported SMEs, especially those that are part of their supply chains, such as equipping SMEs with knowledge and providing in-depth advice on business operation and product development to enhance SMEs capabilities. Meanwhile, SET has encouraged other listed firms to concretely nurture and enhance growth among SMEs and start-ups. On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Lease IT pcl (LIT) and five listed firms consisting of ATP30 pcl (ATP30), BuilderSmart pcl (BSM), Kingsmen C.M.T.I. pcl (K), NCL International Logistics pcl (NCL) and Solartron pcl (SOLAR), to launch the “LIT-Supply Chain Finance” special project aiming to facilitate access to funding and enhance liquidity among the SMEs that are partners of these five companies, added Kesara.
TLCA Chairman Surong Bulakul said, “It’s one of TLCA’s strategic plans to enhance competitive capabilities of Thai SMEs and start-ups through synergy among financial and capital market alliances. In 2015, TLCA, jointly with SET and Federation of Accounting Professions, set up a Center for Building Competitive Enterprises (CBCE), consisting of a number of experts in management field. The main objective is to give management advices to the Thai business sector, especially SMEs, to grow their businesses to the extent that they could increase the country’s competitiveness in the long run.”
