ASEAN Fosters MSME Cross-Border Trade and Circular Economy
In the recent 16th ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) Meeting and Related Meetings, held from 16-20 October 2023 in Singapore, updates on ASEAN Access took center stage. This regional platform supports MSMEs in expanding their network and cross-border trading. The meeting was attended by representatives from the ASEAN Member States, including those from SMEs promotion agencies and the private sector.
ASEAN Access is co-owned and operated by the ten ASEAN Member States. It boasts nearly 50 network partners and has started extending its reach to international organizations and countries, such as Italy and Japan. Linkages exist to national SME portals, e.g., Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, and new tools, such as the ASEAN Tariff Finder. The aim is to ensure that MSMEs can tap into emerging business opportunities in new markets and seamlessly integrate into wider supply or value chains.
“It is important to continue proactive coordination, communication and collaboration between the ASEAN Access Task Force, National Focal Points and Network partners to ensure smooth delivery of high-quality and relevant services to all ASEAN businesses.” said Dr Veerapong Malai, Director General of the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP) Thailand, in his opening remarks.
Highlights from the meeting:
Key takeaways:
- A study on the readiness of MSMEs to implement circular economy practices and innovative business models is being prepared, to provide orientation for policy measures under the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
- As a priority for 2023, ASEAN Access LEARN was unveiled as a new feature allowing MSME to access free live and self-paced training on import, export and e-commerce topics.
- In 2024, under the ASEAN Chairmanship of Lao PDR, further policy dialogues will be hosted on ASEAN Access, among others, to disseminate the results of the ASEAN SME Policy Index (ASPI) and to substantiate the end-review of the Strategic Action Plan on SME Development (SAPSMED) 2025.
The ASEAN SME II project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), offers technical assistance for the development and maintenance of ASEAN Access, as well as a study on MSMEs’ preparedness for the Circular Economy.
Contact Person
Sita Zimpel
Key Buzzwords
#ASEAN #Access #MSME #circulareconomy
