Mekong Institute (MI), has been commissioned by the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), Ministry of Commerce, Thailand to organize a two-week Regional Training cum Business Networking on “Sustainable Transport and Logistics Planning and Management” on September 25 – October 6, 2017, at its residential training center, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The main objectives of the program are: i. to understand the significance of transport and logistics management, ii to enhance the participants’ knowledge on effective implementation of logistics procedures and services and iii. to provide opportunities for business development among the CLMVT program participants.
Attending the training are 50 participants from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand (CLMVT)
– representing the mid-level, senior and management-level officials, academic and logistics operators from government and private sector. Also in attendance are five (5) officers from the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) and Department of Trade Negotiation, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand.
Delivering the welcoming remarks, Dr. Watcharas Leelawath, Executive Director of the Mekong Institute, stressed the key objective of the training was to enhance knowledge and skills, and create business networking to spark growth and new opportunities among the program participants. Furthermore, Dr. Watcharas Leelawath noted the importance of human resource development which was identified at the CLMVT Forum “Towards a Shared Prosperity” in June 2016 in Bangkok. One of the quick-win results of the CLMVT Forum was fostering the economic relationship between CLMVT and pushing forward the transport and logistics sectors which contribute to countries’ economic growth and reducing the cost to export in the CLMVT countries. Finally, Dr. Watcharas Leelawath noted the close working relationship that MI has with TPSO, and expressed his hope that this would continue for projects in the future.
Delivering the opening remarks, Ms. Bhornbhat Punngok, Director of the Division of Industrial and service, Trade Policy and Strategy welcomed all participants, and mentioned the importance of the regional training cum business networking in moving ASEAN forward. Ms. Bhornbhat Punngok also noted the multidimensional changes that were occurring in the region, and that it would be hard for countries to stand alone. Integration and cooperation in many areas are therefore important for enhancing trade competitiveness.
Ms. Bhornbhat Punngok addressed that to kick off the initiatives for the regional human capital development, “sustainable logistics’ was chosen due to its undeniable significance. “Logistics” is an important sector for all CLMVT countries. It is not only an income-generating sector but also a necessary infrastructure for the whole economic system by providing linkages among sectors, between businesses and consumers, and across countries. Ms. Bhornbhat expressed her thanks towards: i. the Department of Trade Negotiation, Ministry of Commerce for generous funding support. Secondly, ii. the Mekong Institute for their role in organizing and implementing the regional training cum business networking, and iii. the program participants. Finally, Ms. Bhornbhat Punngok provided an overview of the TPSO and the Ministry of Commerce, Thailand.
Implemented by the Trade & Investment Facilitation (TIF) Department of MI, a team of national and in-house experts with a experience in sustainable transport and logistics planning and management at regional level will provide participants with significant opportunities for being exposed to international best practices and expertise. The training program cum business networking will also cover:
– Needs and Importance of Transport and Logistics, and Challenges and Opportunities in Context of AEC, and Carriage of Dangerous Goods
– Strategy for Transport Planning and Management
– International Agreements in the CLMVT / GMS and ASEAN and Transport Regulations
– E-Logistics in Supply Chain Management and GMS Transport Information Connection (GTIC) System
– Green Freight – key issues and its importance
As part of the training, Business Networking has been organized with members of Thai Logistics for Greater Mekong Subregion Trade Association, Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Thai Industries in Khon Kaen, Thai SME Federation in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, member of ASEAN Trucking Federation and Thailand International Freight Forwarder Association (TIFFA)
Meanwhile Structured Learning Visits (SLVs) have been organized to Professional ID Driver Training School, CP All Public Company Limited, SCG Skills Development School, V. Serve Group and Lad Krabang Inland Container Depot.
Following the completion of the training, each participant is required to prepare and deliver an Action Plan.
