APEC ministerial meeting aims to increase SMEs competitiveness
The 24th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM) and related meetings, which are scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from September 10-15, is expected to enhance the competitiveness and creativity capacity of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital era.
Hanoi (VNA) – The 24th APEC Small and MediumEnterprises Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM) and related meetings, which arescheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from September 10-15, is expectedto enhance the competitiveness and creativity capacity of micro-, small- andmedium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital era.
The event will create valuable opportunities forbusinesses to exchange effective cooperation ideas in the context ofglobalisation and integration, said Ho Sy Hung, Director of the EnterpriseDevelopment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment at a pressconference in Hanoi on September 5.
Ministers will discuss measures to facilitate business access to marketsand deeper engagement in global value chains; enable MSMEs to get access to newtechnologies, improve management capacity, and increase competitive edge; andpromote entrepreneurship and business ethics.
They are also expected to adopt a number of documents, including adeclaration on promoting start-up businesses, and a strategy developing green,sustainable and innovative SMEs.
A series of related meetings will take place during the event such asthe 45th APEC Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Working Group Meeting, APECOnline to Offline (O2O) Forum, APEC Startup Forum, and Forum on APEC DigitalEconomy.
Established in 1989, APEC comprises 21 economies, including Australia,Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic ofKorea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines,Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.
Vietnam joined APEC in 1998. SMEs employ more than 50 percent of theworkforce and contribute over 40 percent of the GDP in Vietnam.-VNA
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At the press conference (Photo: VNA) 
