The workshop on "SMEs Access to Finance in Selected East Asian Economies" was held on January 21, 2011, at ERIA with 20 Working Group (WG) members from ASEAN member states and China, also with a present of officials from the ASEAN Secretariat. The objective of this workshop is to present preliminary findings from the survey conducted from October - December 2010.

During the meeting, the WG members discussed about empirical evident of financial constraints or gaps faced by SMEs predicted by theoretical framework. Moreover, the findings on the extent of gaps and characteristics of SMEs for selected East Asian countries will provide better understanding on policy remedies to overcome those gaps.

Results from the study are expected to provide some policy implications on how to improve accessibility of finance for SMEs to enable them to overcome their financial hurdles. Moreover, it would provide justification for initiatives to support the financing of SMEs and to avoid the distortions that in the absence of market failure, non-viable firms may be subsidized, at public expense, to compete with other viable firms.  WG members decided to disseminate its final works and present the results at next workshop which will be held on March 12, 2011.

Please click the following link for the opening remarks of Executive Director, ERIA, Mr. Hidetoshi Nishimura.

Opening Remarks of Mr Nishimura.pdf