On 8-9 March 2007, the Hon Fran Bailey MP, Minister for Small Business and Tourism, hosted the 14th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting in Hobart, Tasmania. The Ministers' Meeting, which followed the Micro Enterprise Sub-group and SME Working Group meetings held between 4-6 March, provided Ministers with an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing SMEs in the Asia Pacific. Australia seeks to build on the momentum established at recent SME Ministerial Meetings by helping to empower the region’s SMEs to become even more dynamic and enterprising. A broader objective of the SME Ministerial Meeting was to foster a supportive business climate amongst APEC economies, sending the message that through driving and promoting economic development, SMEs can grow and prosper. With around 49 million SMEs in the Asia Pacific region, stimulating improvement in the economic environment and sharing best practice policies will enable APEC members to enhance their domestic policies to improve the business environment across the Asia-Pacific. SME Working Group members can access detailed information by visiting www.apec.org |