Hanoi Declaration to Strengthen SME Competitiveness Released by Ministers
APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministers have released the "Hanoi Declaration on Strengthening SME Competitiveness for Trade and Investment" to assist small businesses deal with the challenges posed by globalization.
The Ha Noi Declaration was agreed and endorsed today following two days of meetings by Small and Medium Enterprises Ministers from APEC Member Economies and two days of meetings by the APEC SME Working Group.
Chair of the Meeting and Viet Nam's Minister of Planning and Investment, Mr. Vo Hong Phuc, welcomed the Ha Noi Declaration as providing governments in the region with a clear set of measures that are essential for SMEs to grow and prosper.
"Small businesses are the lifeblood of our region, not only because of the economic benefits but for their social role," Mr. Phuc said.
"SMEs and Micro Enterprises employ the greatest number of people in our region and so ensure people have income for their families and are able to develop their skills.
"However, globalization has brought with it change that has increased pressure on SMEs as they try to compete in the regional economy.
"The Ha Noi Declaration specifies measures for economies to reduce red tape, create export opportunities and share knowledge to create the right environment for SME development.
"To reach APEC's Bogor Goals on free and open trade and investment, we need to ensure that the small business sector remains vibrant and innovative. The Ha Noi Declaration is a tool to help governments ensure the ongoing input of SMEs for reaching APEC's free and open trade and investment goals."
At the conclusion of the meeting Ministers also released their Joint Ministerial Statement based on the meeting's theme of "Strengthening SME Competitiveness for Trade and Investment"
The statement reviews work carried out by APEC over the past year of strengthening the capacity of SMEs and micro enterprises in the region, and establishes priorities to be worked on before the next SME Ministerial Meeting.
These more operational areas of the work of the SME Working Group and other APEC fora cover areas that include promoting SME innovation, intellectual property rights and pandemic preparedness.
The Hanoi Declaration and Joint Ministerial Statement are available here:
The next APEC SME Ministerial Meeting is scheduled for Hobart, Australia, in March 2007.