The Hindu Business Line : Not enough done for economic growth: Thai PM

THAILAND'S Prime Minister and host for the BIMST-EC summit here in Bangkok, Mr Thaksin Shinawatra, bluntly told fellow leaders of the seven-nation grouping that they had not done enough for economic growth.

"We must accept that the aggregate economic performance of BIMST-EC has not been among the top ranks of the world, to say the least," he said. "That is not news. The danger is that after so long, we run the risk of getting used to life at the bottom."

The one-time police officer, who successfully turned to business and then vaulted to the top of the political leadership, continued, "Indeed, we must not. We must look up to the top to find the track to reach there."

Mr Shinawatra made the remarks at the opening of the BIMST-EC summit, the first for the organisation since its founding seven years ago.

The Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, followed through on the theme by emphasising that geographical contiguity had to be translated into interconnectivity. Conscious of the fact that even road connectivity within the region was poor, he noted with hope the proposal for a highway linking India, Myanmar and Thailand, and for an optical fibre link to be laid alongside it.

The Sri Lankan President, Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga, called on the member countries to broaden the rules of origin criteria. The rules stipulate among others how much value should be added to a particular commodity by the exporting country for it to qualify for lower tariffs in a free trade agreement.

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Not enough done for economic growth: Thai PM