Chamber of Commerce offers infection support

Chamber of Commerce offers infection support

The Thai Chamber of Commerce issued a statement on Friday offering to cooperate with the government in tackling the virus outbreak, while requesting a tax deduction for expenses incurred from health screening, treatment and vaccinations for infected employees.

Chairman Kalin Sarasin said in the statement the outbreak requires quick screening and isolation for the infected and those at risk from uninfected people.

The detection of infected people without a clear management plan will cause significant entailing problems, he said.

The chamber suggests a joint working group be established with the public and private sectors involved in the area to manage problems in the longer term.

Communication, press conferences and information management should be consistent because of the impact on public confidence, while confusion needs to be avoided, said Mr Kalin.

He said many entrepreneurs in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the new outbreak, are capable of managing foreign labourers by themselves with rapid and PCR testing, as well as local quarantine control zones and vaccinations to prevent transmission from foreign workers.

Mr Kalin suggested the government expedite the approval of any rapid test that can confirm the results.

Tax deduction incentives should be awarded to entrepreneurs who are capable of taking care of their own labour force, both in terms of local quarantine control zones and vaccination, he said.

The chamber also teamed up with the Thai Frozen Foods Association, the Thai Tuna Industry Association, the Thai Food Processors' Association and the Fisheries Department to work on solutions to contain the outbreak in fisheries' supply chains.

Poj Aramwatananon, a vice-chairman for the Thai Board of Trade and president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, said the private sector is ready to spend on labourers to control the infection in a bid to avoid business damage.

"The Public Health Ministry needs to enable a faster certification process for rapid tests and PCR results, and allow private hospitals to certify both tests," said Mr Poj. "The ministry should also impose median prices for the two tests as rates charged by private hospitals are relatively expensive."

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