Indonesia to hold 57th APEC SMEWG in Bali on April 24-25

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia will host the 57th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group (APEC SMEWG) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on April 24-25, 2024.

Secretary of the Ministry of Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Arif Rahman Hakim stated here on Thursday that the forum is highly strategic to discuss the latest developments and issues related to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 57th APEC SMEWG will be officially opened by Co-operatives and SMEs Minister Teten Masduki and attended by representatives from 21 APEC member countries or regions.

The 21 APEC members comprise Indonesia, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Russia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.

"In organizing the 57th APEC SMEWG, Indonesia is not only the host but also an incubator of ideas, namely for the exchange of ideas, insights, experiences, and best practices to increase the competitiveness of Indonesian MSME products," Masduki noted in his statement.

In addition to the APEC SMEWG forum, Indonesia will also hold the APEC Policy Dialogue titled "Financial Inclusion for MSMEs: Understanding the Importance of Digital Financial Literacy" on April 23.

He explained that this dialogue event aims to produce policy recommendations in helping MSME actors to increase their awareness and knowledge about the digital financial system and improve financial inclusion.

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Meanwhile, Hakim stated that the meeting will provide a momentum to demonstrate that MSME development programs and policies in Indonesia are in line with SMEWG's strategic plan for 2021-2024.

"One of the things we want to show is the development of inclusivity towards digitalization as well as access to finance and alternative financial solutions," he added.