Roundup: SME Development Tops APEC Members' Economic AgendaAs the world economy is becoming increasingly globalized and relying heavily on advanced technologies and information, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are playing a more and more important role in the Asia- Pacific region, and the world at large.The boom of SMEs will not only benefit the majority of Asia- Pacific people, but also contribute to the common prosperity of the whole region, as this will greatly help facilitate and liberalize trade and investment and promote economic and technological exchanges between member economies of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Statistics show that in the 21 APEC member economies, 95 percent of the enterprises are SMEs, whose employment, GDP and exports respectively make up 85, 30 and 35 percent of the region's total. However, compared with large enterprises, SMEs are facing serious challenges due to a lack of skills, capital and access to information. Participants in the just-concluded 8th APEC SME Ministerial Meeting and APEC SME Business Forum here, therefore, called on governments of the member economies to pay more attention to SMEs, and create a favorable environment for their development. At the meeting, ministers and entrepreneurs from the APEC members reached a consensus on a variety of issues, including advancing technological innovation, facilitating financing and improving the environment for SMEs. They called for joint efforts to foster SME growth so as to achieve common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. Chan Wing-Kee, chairman of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, said governments should play the part of "assistant, supporter and strategic partner" in SMEs' development. Chan said governments should offer the maximum help to enterprises and exercise minimum intervention in their operations, adding that all government departments should be mobilized to improve the development environment for SMEs. Anatole Bogatski, an industrial and commercial official from New Zealand, agreed with Chan. He said governments should give more assistance to SMEs in the spheres of market access, financing, human resources development and service institutions. On improving SME cooperation in a global economic slowdown, Savaraj Sachchamarga, from the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said SMEs played a significant role in the recovery of the southeast Asian economy from the financial crisis, and their further development will help boost the growth of the world economy. The participants said that they appreciated China's stable macro-economic environment built on sustained rapid economic growth. They said that they are optimistic that China's entry into the World Trade Organization is bound to open up new ground for Chinese SMEs and provide more business opportunities to SMEs of other APEC members. |
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