Three official business publications were launched November 16, 2011 that provide information and updates on top SMEs, economic integration efforts, and investment prospects in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Handbook for Business, the Directory of Outstanding ASEAN SMEs 2011, and the ASEAN Investment Report (AIR) 2011 were released by the ASEAN Secretariat at the ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (ABIS) 2011 in Bali, Indonesia.
The AEC Handbook for Business updates the private sector on the progress in the implementation of the AEC, the secretariat said.
“The participation and collaboration of all stakeholders—particularly the private sector—is crucial to the creation of a strong foundation for the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015,” said Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN. “The private sector as the main driver of regional and global supply chains plays a critical role in ensuring the successful realisation of ASEAN as a single market and production base.”
The Directory of Outstanding ASEAN SMEs 2011 is a who’s who of regional SMEs, the biggest employer in the region. It contains a list of nearly 1,000 top SMEs from all 10 ASEAN member-states (AMS) and comes with contact details by industry and sector. It also seeks to bolster linkages among the regional SMEs and supply chains and production networks.
“The SME Directory also contains an overview of the policy initiatives for SMEs in AMS, and incorporates information on Free Trade Agreements between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners, to build awareness and to support the transformation of ASEAN SMEs as world-class enterprises by 2015,” said Sundram Pushpanathan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community.
The SME directory also provides information on SME service centers in the region. These centers provide comprehensive development support services, such as training in managerial and technological capabilities for SMEs.
The ASEAN Investment Report (AIR) 2011 highlights the attractions of ASEAN as an investment site. It assesses developments and trends in the regional and global foreign direct investment (FDI) scene, analyzes the performance of ASEAN against this backdrop, and provides a future outlook for FDI in the region.
“The Report also examines the challenges and risks, as well as opportunities for ASEAN. It reviews the current policy and institutional environment in ASEAN and how these have affected ASEAN’s competitiveness vis-à-vis other regions,” said Pushpanathan.