Globalab completed another successful programme on Developing Government Strategies for SME Development for policy makers in Phnom Penh in early October 2016.  This workshop drew many policy makers from several Government departments and agencies to discuss the challenges that SMEs face in Cambodia. Delegates were given illustrations of SME policy development in the Singapore context and they learnt about the incentives, development issues and how to address challenges in the Cambodian context.

The one-week workshop saw about 20 policy makers from several Government ministries learn about SME development policies and strategies based on the Singapore experience. Issues pertaining to SME relevance, the strategies for their growth and development and contribution to jobs, income and opportunities were discussed and debated with Globalab’s Principal Consultant and Facilitator, Mohan Panicker. SME development is one of the corner stones of the ASEAN Economic Community and Cambodia’s role was seen as crucial with other ASEAN countries. Policy makers highlighted the challenges that SMEs faced in the Cambodian economy. They also saw the opportunities that SMEs can bring about for economic growth and creating jobs and income. Many learnt and understood the policy perspectives from the establishment of SPRING Singapore, A*STAR and International Enterprise Singapore. They also undertook a project activity to develop policies that would establish SMEs and spur growth in the agricultural sector of the economy. All participants complimented the programme and many labelled the course as “Excellent”. This course is a series of workshops that Globalab has undertaken and successfully delivered under the Initiative for ASEAN Integration in cooperation with the Singapore Cooperation Programme.

The programme ran up to Friday 7 October where delegates presented a project on how to improve the policy framework to help SMEs in the agricultural sector to move up the productivity ladder and improve employment at the same time.