Gov asks US to help tsunami-hit businesses

PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has asked members of the United States Congress to back the establishment of a “Flexible Fund” to help small and medium-sized businesses recover from the tsunami.

Gov Udomsak told the elected representatives it would be a “great help” if the US would support the fund, which would offer flexible financing with minimum paperwork to traders who had not been insured, or did not have assets they could use as guarantees for loans from other sources.

The Governor was speaking yesterday at Phuket Provincial Hall, after the party had toured tsunami-damaged areas in Patong and Kamala. The group is due to visit Phang Nga today.

Sorasak Samonkraisorakit, First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, who accompanied the group, told the Gazette that the American politicians were looking for ways to help the local economy after hearing from businesspeople about how they are struggling to recover.

K. Sorasak added that the American Charmber of Commerce, the US-ASEAN Business Council and the Asia Society were expected to take part in a meeting in June on reviving the local economy.

Gov Udomsak told the Gazette, “The members of the group said they would put what they have learned today before a meeting at the House of Representatives on May 12, and that we could expect a delegation from Congress to visit us after that meeting to tell us what help they had decided to offer.”