The foreign chambers of commerce in Thailand are members of the umbrella organisation JFCCT.

Behind this acronym hides an active and important forum for each and every chamber member.

We met up with the JFCCT Chairman, Mr. Peter van Haren, and asked him to elaborate on the doings of JFCCT.

What is the JFCCT?

“It stands for Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand and is the umbrella organisation for 22 foreign chambers of commerce and 3 business associations in Thailand.”

What roles and obligations has the JFCCT have?

“All foreign chambers are legal entities, official groups registered with the Ministry of Commerce, and each chamber president is a director to the Board of Trade of Thailand, BOT. Every chamber has an obligation to administer and manage the chamber according to its charter, and it shall also represent the requirements of its members to the government and its agencies. The JFCCT’s role is to pursue issues that are global to all the members of the JFCCT.“

What are the regular activities of the JFCCT?

“We have two regular forms of activities. The President's Council Meeting, which is monthly, is our decision making body. Here we discuss and decide what issues we shall pursue. Then we have the FCCCC group which is a task oriented forum, here we organize our work in sub committees and sub groups that deal with issues like the foreign business act, ICT, customs, immigration etc. All participants are volunteers, except our secretary, they are dedicated and knowledgeable. We pursue our issues in regular meetings with Thai government agencies, for example the Revenue Department, the Customs Department, the Immigration Bureau, the Labour Department, the Ministry of Commerce. In addition we arrange JFCCT luncheons and dinners, like the recent one with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.”

Give us some examples of issues that the JFCCT has dealt with?

“I like to begin with the Foreign Business Act, that replaced the 1972 Alien Business Law in March 2000. The old law was quite restrictive. We worked closely and directly with the past government to suggest improvements and measures in the new Foreign Business Act. The outcome was a much more liberal legislation. The new administration has decided to review the law and the JFCCT is in constant communication with them about it. Both sides are concerned about making any changes that may discourage foreign direct investment therefore currently it is unlikely that such changes would be made.”

“Another issue is tax refunds, be it VAT or corporate profit taxes, which are sometimes slow. The JFCCT has, through talks with the Revenue Department, established a routine which means that if the JFCCT endorse in writing a refund request from a member is the outstanding amount promptly refunded by the Revenue Department.”

“Customs issues were successfully dealt with during the previous administration and the former Director General of the Customs Department. Although we are currently pursuing continued good relationships with the Customs Department it is currently more difficult that it was in the past. ”

“And we continuously bring up visa and work permit matters with the Immigration Bureau and the Labour Department. Some time ago the 90 day visa reporting regulation became strictly enforced, after talks we had with the Immigration Bureau the interpretation of the regulation eased again. As well, the work permit, permanent residence and citizenship application processes have slowed and we are discussing this with the Board of Trade and Government”

What advise have you got for chamber members who wonder what use they may have of the JFCCT?

“If they have an issue that affects their ability to do business in Thailand there is probably a good chance that the issue is common to all members in the JFCCT. Bring it up with your chamber. In some instances the individual chamber can pursue the issue for you, sometimes the JFCCT is a more suitable organization. Usually we engage in global issues, such that are common for all members, and not in problems that are unique for one company or industry alone. As an organization with almost 8000 members, including the full support of the largest investors in Thailand like Japan, the US, UK and Germany we carry significant weight.

“I would like to stress that we do not want to be seen as a group that carry complaints only, but as a body that proposes ideas for improvements and seek dialogue for a common goal of enhancing business opportunity in Thailand. Many of us are here for the long run. We are as eager to see Thailand prosper as Thai nationals, and we are very committed to Thailand.”

How are the JFCCT’s relations with the present government?

“Each time we have a new government we have to build new relations gaining new confidence and trust. During the first months into the new administration we got conflicting messages regarding its view on foreign business and foreign direct investments. That has caused some frustration in the JFCCT. There has not been a clear government policy on foreign direct investment. In the recent past we have seen more consistent signals, and positive ones, on foreign business and foreign direct investment. For the first 6 months of 2001 FDI fell significantly with only slight improvement in the second half of the year . The present Government recognizes this as a problem and also recognizes the important role that the JFCCT and its members can play. Having said that , I see no major problems in the actual dialogue with the present government. When we ask for a meeting it takes place and when we invite speakers they come.”

Caption: “we do not want to be seen as a group that carry complaints only, but as a body that proposes ideas for improvements and seek dialogue for a common goal of enhancing business opportunity in Thailand,” says JFCCT Chairman Peter van haren.

Provided courtesy by Christer Nilsson