SELA, MEIC and DIGEPYME organize the Regional Meeting on Update Study on the Index of Public Policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the Directorate-General for Support to Small and Medium Enterprises (DIGEPYME) of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade (MEIC) of Costa Rica are organizing the “Regional Meeting on Update Study on the Index of Public Policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean” to be held at the National Centre for High Technology (CENAT) on 08 July 2016 in San José, Costa Rica.

The main objective of this meeting is to promote the implementation of the Index of Public Policies for SMEs as an instrument that enables the monitoring and assessment of public policies aimed at promoting the development of SMEs, identifying strengths and weaknesses in areas associated with the decision-making process. In addition, the development of the Index will make it possible to compare results among countries, facilitating the exchange of experiences that encourage regional cooperation.

During the meeting, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA will present the document “Update Study on the Index of Public Policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean (IPPPALC)", which explores the experiences of other regions in the adaptation of the Index of Public Policies for SMEs, originally developed by the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the current status of public policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, it presents a detailed procedural framework for the implementation and assessment of the Index of Public Policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean (IPPALC), which will serve as the basis for the exchange of opinions and discussions during the regional meeting in Costa Rica. The conclusions and recommendations arising from the presentation of this Update Study will be a valuable input for the conduction of a “Workshop on implementation of the Index of Public Policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean”, to be organized by SELA in Panama in September 2016.

As background to the regional meeting of 2016, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA presented in 2015 the document “Methodological considerations for developing an SME Policy Index for Latin America and the Caribbean" (SP/RRPPPA-PYMES/DT N° 3-15), which proposes an adaptation of the Index of Public Policies for SMEs developed by the OECD, considering the structural characteristics of the economies in the region. The document was presented at the “Regional Meeting on Public Policies for the Promotion and Support of SMEs,” held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

During the year 2014, three regional workshops on Public Policies for the Promotion and Support of SMEs were held in different venues: Bolivia for South American countries, Honduras for Central American nations and Trinidad and Tobago for Caribbean countries.

In these meetings, different mechanisms and methodologies were presented, in particular those implemented by countries in the region in the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies. In addition, a proposal was made to create a network of dissemination and exchange of information among representatives of the States, in order to hold permanent consultations on issues of interest to institutions that have participated in the events and to exchange successful experiences. The main conclusions and recommendations drawn from these three workshops were included in the document “Public policies to support MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean” (SP/CL/XL.O/Di N° 20-14).

The “Regional Meeting on Update Study on the Index of Public Policies for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean” is aimed at governmental focal points for small and medium-sized enterprises of the Member States of SELA, representatives of SME business associations and experts in the field. 

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