The 51st meeting of the Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group (SMEWG) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was held days earlier (19 to 20 May) in a virtual format. Themed “Join, Work, Grow, Together”, this year’s meeting focused on accelerating the post-pandemic recovery.
To strengthen the connection and exchange with other Asia-Pacific economies, the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) attended the meeting on behalf of Macao, China as a guest economy. Chan Hoi Si, the DSEDT’s Head of Industry and Commerce Support Division, made a sharing on the temporary support measures introduced by the Macao SAR Government to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) against the pandemic at the meeting.
The discussion of this virtual meeting centred around the areas of work of the Strategic Plan 2021-2024 concerning digitalization of SMEs, government support to enterprises, innovation and entrepreneurship, access to international markets, global value chain and access to finance, among others. A focus was also given to exploring how to enhance the development of SMEs during the pandemic. Members shared experiences on their respective projects, while introducing the major initiatives to be launched in the future.
Since 2001, the Macao SAR has been participating in the meetings of several working groups of APEC as a guest economy. The DSEDT has long been participating in the meetings and activities with a view to deepening the understanding of the development of matters relevant to the region. The participation has also enabled the establishment of networks and exchange of information with APEC and its members, bringing about a positive effect on enhancing the Macao SAR’s participation in regional governance.