Issued by the Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting
Putrajaya, Malaysia, 23 October 2020
Ministers in charge of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the APEC region issued a statement following their virtual
meeting held on 23 October 2020.
The statement reflects the outcome of the 26th APEC SME Ministerial Meeting chaired by Malaysia’s Minister of
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Dato Sri Dr Haji Wan Junaidi Bin Tuanku Jaafar.
Their joint statement addresses the unprecedented effects of the COVID-19 crisis on micro, small and medium enterprises,
including women-owned businesses, which contributes to contributing 40 to 60 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) in
the APEC region. It calls for economies to intensify cooperation, further promote market access, embrace the digital
economy and address challenges for small businesses to go digital.
Read the 2020 APEC SME Ministerial Statement: