THE GOVERNMENT will revive the One Tambon One Product (Otop) scheme to kick-start the grassroots economy while boosting multiple business and industrial clusters with new incentives, according to deputy premier Somkid Jatusripitak.
Somkid, head of the new economic team, met yesterday with leaders of the private sector for the first time to explain his policies and measures. Besides the Otop scheme, the Village Fund scheme would also be revived with fresh cash.
Both schemes were popular in the early 2000s during the tenure of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra when Somkid was deputy premier and finance minister.
Originally, Otop was designed to promote indigenous entrepreneurship for locally made and marketed products of each Thai tambon or sub-district. It was inspired by Japan's successful One Village One Product program.