On December 18, 2019, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit attended the NATION DINNER TALK event titled "Driving Thailand's Economy 2020" at Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, alongside Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana. The event began with a keynote speech by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.

          During the discussion, Jurin spoke about the future of the economy, mentioning that he had figures from the IMF predicting that in 2019, the global economy would grow by 3%, and next year it is expected to grow by 3.4%. While this year's growth of 3% indicates a slowdown compared to last year, if next year achieves the predicted 3.4%, it cannot be considered a slowdown but rather an economic growth. For Thailand, the forecast for 2019 is a growth of 3%, which will be confirmed at the end of the year, but next year is still expected to show positive growth, indicating an overall positive outlook.

          "We must acknowledge the reality that the overall economic pressure from trade has significantly impacted this year, particularly due to the global economic slowdown. The 3% growth this year is a slowdown compared to last year, influenced by the US-China trade war, and Thailand is facing additional unique factors, such as a strong Thai baht. This means we will have to work harder. However, the IMF's predictions give us hope. I believe that the government, with the cooperation of everyone in the economic team, will be able to overcome these obstacles, and I still maintain a positive outlook," he stated.

          Jurin continued, stating that although he has only been in government for just over four months, the new administration has clear policies, particularly within the Ministry of Commerce. The main responsibility he oversees is the grassroots economy and the promotion of exports. He believes that this year, they have implemented several government policies successfully.

          The first policy is focused on the grassroots economy, especially for farmers, which includes income guarantee policies along with other parallel measures. The income guarantee covers five agricultural products: 1. Rice, 2. Cassava, 3. Rubber, 4. Palm oil, and 5. Corn.

          "In just over four months, we have successfully implemented the policy and have almost completed the transfer of funds to farmers. The only product left is corn, which will have its funds transferred on December 20. After this date, it means we will have fully compensated farmers for the income lost due to falling agricultural prices. This indicates that within just over four months until the end of this year, we have successfully implemented the income guarantee policy for all five agricultural products," the Minister of Commerce stated, adding that this, along with other measures supported by the Ministry of Finance, has effectively channeled funds into the grassroots economy directly to farmers' accounts without any loss or misallocation.

          Regarding exports, the Minister of Commerce mentioned that managing exports in normal circumstances is not feasible. We must acknowledge the global economic slowdown, the trade war, and the strong baht. Therefore, we need to adjust our management strategies in times of crisis and employ multiple strong measures simultaneously. This has led to the first-time collaboration between the public and private sectors to work together.

          "Moving forward, the Ministry of Commerce cannot be the sole hero; the real heroes are the private sector, which will be at the forefront of driving sales and generating income for the country. The Ministry of Commerce's role is to promote, support, and help resolve issues for the private sector to achieve sales targets. This is why I have proposed the establishment of the Commerce Coordination Committee, which will consist of representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant government agencies, along with the private sector, including the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Thai Exporters Association, and the Thai Bankers Association, among others, to address the challenges posed by the trade war affecting us globally, including Thailand. This is one of the most important initiatives, where trade representatives will now focus solely on negotiating trade terms and not just on promotional sales. They must delve deeper into our agricultural products such as rice, cassava, rubber, palm oil, and corn, as well as fruits," he said.

          Jurin emphasized that these key areas require trade representatives to act as the country's salespeople, promoting agricultural products abroad, with the Minister of Commerce himself taking on the role of the chief salesperson for the country, working to bring the private sector and government together to generate sales and revenue for the nation.

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