BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand will meet central bank and planning agency officials to discuss ways to boost growth to 3% to 3.5% this year, its finance minister said on Thursday.
Under discussion would be measures to boost tourism and lower prices of agriculture goods, Pichai Chunhavajira told reporters ahead of the meeting.
Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy expanded 2.5% last year, less than expected, and lagging peers.
Pichai has said growth this year will be driven by foreign investment and stimulus measures. The government plans to implement the next phase of its signature 450 billion baht ($13.3 billion) stimulus scheme in the second quarter.
On Monday, he said there was room for an interest rate cut to boost economic growth and help weaken the baht to support exports, a key growth driver.
On Wednesday, the central bank cut the key interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.00% at its first meeting this year, a move it said was a response to a weaker growth outlook and global trade policy uncertainty.
The next monetary policy review is on April 30.
($1 = 33.89 baht)
(Reporting by Kittipong Thaicharoen, Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng, Editing by Martin Petty and Christina Fincher)
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