CHIANG MAI – The Industry Ministry has launched the Pracharat SME Clinic project in the northern province of Chiang Mai to aid local businesses.
Presiding over the launch was Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana. Initiated under the civil state approach called Pracharat, the SME Clinic project uses innovations and current technology to enhance micro businesses, connecting the SME sector with the digital world. The minister said the program has so far approved 197 million baht in loans for 95 business operators.
In an area of the upper north covering eight provinces, there are nearly 300,000 small and medium enterprises, accounting for 10.72% of all SMEs in the country. These businesses have created more than 776,000 jobs in the region.
Chiang Mai province alone houses 96,000 SMEs, the second highest, after Bangkok. The city has recently introduced a campaign entitled “City of Life and Prosperity” to spur economic growth, with a focus on agricultural processing, tourism, and related digital industries.
