The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) provides exclusive training for members of provident fund committees on financial management for retirement. This is a joint effort with the Association of Investment Management Companies (AIMC) and the Association of Provident Funds (AOP), organizing “Employee’s Choice @ Workplaces”. This project will encourage provident fund members to pay more attention to financial planning and long-term savings as well as to have a better understanding about financial products available on the capital market and to save, prudently using investment options for a stable retirement.
The SET and the two associations today (March 14, 2011) jointly signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the “Employee’s Choice @ Workplaces” project. Under this program, provident fund committee members will be trained to become “Employee’s Choice Ambassadors”, responsible for passing on knowledge in financial planning for retirement and advising on “Employee’s Choices” investment options that best suits each provident fund member, SET President Charamporn Jotikasthira noted.
“This project is the starting point for more than 2.2 million provident fund members across Thailand to be more watchful about the need of financial planning for retirement and to give more understanding on various types of financial products available that suit each individual’s lifestyle, acceptable risks and rate of return. This is one of the measures to promote the investment culture through long-term savings, which is a part of the Thai Capital Market Development Plan and ultimately benefit the investment in the capital market.
The SET, through Thailand Securities Institute (TSI), will provide necessary funds and other resources to develop the curriculum and training for 500 provident fund committee members from AOP member. The training will begin in May”, said Mr. Charamporn.
The AIMC realized the significance of this project and will help develop the project curriculum and supply guest speakers in all sessions from its investment management companies, AIMC Chairperson Vorawan Tarapoom said. It is hoped that fund committee members, who have completed the training, will become a vital force in offering essential advice on financial planning for retirement and in selecting the most suitable investment option through the Employee’s Choice campaign for all provident fund members.
AOP Vice President of the Tharnthong Trainorapongsa said that the “Employee’s Choice @ Workplaces” project was a key strategy to help comprehensively and effectively promote understanding in financial planning and various available options of investment among members of the provident funds. The AOP and SET will select provident fund committee members to become Employee’s Choice Ambassadors and to help promote and disseminate all knowledge to provident fund members.