Overview
These figures indicate that MSMEs play important roles to economic and social development, contributing to value-added activities, innovation and inclusive growth through the creation of job opportunities and their widespread presence in both urban and rural areas. MSMEs are thus the backbone of ASEAN and are fundamental towards achieving long-run and sustainable economic growth and in narrowing the development gap.
For more information:
Enterprise and Stakeholders Engagement Division
esed@asean.org
Major Sectoral Bodies
In ASEAN, cooperation on SME development began in 1995, when fostering SME development became one of the priority areas in respect of policy focus and resources. The ASEAN SME Agencies Working Group (SMEWG), which comprised representatives from SME Agencies in AMS, was formed to formulate policies, programmes and activities on SME development.
In January 2016, the ASEAN SMEWG was renamed to the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) to better reflect the expanded scope of work to cover micro enterprises and to reflect the need to expand the composition of the committee to include representatives from other areas besides the MSME agencies.
The ACCMSME meets twice a year and reports to the Senior Economic Officials Meeting under the mandate of the ASEAN Economic Ministers. ACCMSME chairmanship is on a yearly rotational basis. The current chair of ACCMSME is:
Mr. Wittawat Lamsam
Director, International Cooperation Department
The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP)
Thailand
as of 8 October 2025
ASEAN COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON MICRO,
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (ACCMSME)
LIST OF ACCMSME HEADS OF DELEGATIONS
Brunei Darussalam
Ms. Norlela Suhailee
Head of Business Development and Support
Darussalam Enterprise (DARe)
Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB)
(under Ministry of Finance and Economy / MoFE)
Cambodia
Mr. Peou Vannda
General Director of General Department of SMEs and Handicrafts
Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI)
Indonesia
Mr. Bastian
Head of Performance Management and Cooperation Bureau
Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MoMSMEs)
Lao PDR
Ms. Manivone Vongxay
Director General
Department of MSME Promotion (DOSMEP)
Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Malaysia
Mr. Rahman bin Mohd Din
Deputy Secretary General (Policy & Monitoring)
Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD)
Myanmar
Mr. Thein Swe
Director-General
Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection
Ministry of Industry
Philippines
Ms. Emma C. Asusano
Director
Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development
Department of Trade and Industry
Singapore
Mr. Kuhan Harichandra
Director of Corporate Planning and Principal Economist
Enterprise Singapore
(under Ministry of Trade and Industry / MTI)
Thailand
Ms. Panita Shinawatra (Ph.D.)
Acting Director-General
Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP)
Viet Nam
Ms. Trinh Thi Huong
Deputy Director-General
Agency of Private Enterprise and Cooperatives Development
Ministry of Finance
Key Priority Areas - Strategic Action Plan on SME Development 2016-2025
MSME development in ASEAN is currently guided by the ten-year ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016 – 2025 (SAP SMED 2025). The SAP SMED 2025, which was launched at the sidelines of the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015, serves to strengthen ASEAN cooperation in an increasingly competitive economic environment and to support MSMEs’ growth and development through the vision of creating globally competitive and innovative MSME by 2025.The plan aims to address issues commonly faced by MSMEs through five strategic goals, namely:
- Strategic Goal A: Promote Productivity, Technology, and Innovation;
- Strategic Goal B: Increase Access to Finance;
- Strategic Goal C: Enhance Market Access and Internationalisation;
- Strategic Goal D: Enhance Policy and Regulatory Environment; and
- Strategic Goal E: Promote Entrepreneurship and Human Capital Development.
The ACCMSME acts as the overall coordinating committee responsible for overseeing MSME development initiatives in the region. Under its directives, two task forces have been established to address and advise the ACCMSME on specific matters corresponding to the Strategic Goals of SAP SMED 2025. With MSME development being a cross-cutting issue in ASEAN, ACCMSME through various forms of consultations draws on views and expertise from other sectoral bodies, partners and stakeholders, and work with other governmental agencies, private sectors and civil society organisations as appropriate towards mutual benefits.
| Task Force | Purpose | Year of Establishment | Composition |
| ASEAN Task Force on Starting a Business | · To facilitate implementation, monitoring and tracking of the implementation of the “Work Programme on Starting a Business in ASEAN”. · The Work Programme is an ASEAN commitment to enhance policy and regulatory environment through streamlining processes involved in obtaining business registrations, licenses and permits to enable less costly and faster business formation. · Supports the implementation of Strategic Goal D: Enhance the Policy and Regulatory Environment. | 2016 | · Representatives of ACCMSME and business registration agencies from each AMS. · Currently chaired by Cambodia. |
| Task Force on ASEAN Access | · To promote sustainable operation and promotion as well as continuous enhancement of the ASEAN Access through the provision of strategic directions to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of its programmes and activities. · Supports the implementation of Strategic Goal C: Enhance Market Access and Internationalisation. | 2020 | · Representatives of ACCMSME and National Focal Points of national-level SME Service Centres. · Currently chaired by Thailand. |
Key Initiatives
-
ASEAN Access
The ASEAN Access web portal, with the tagline “Your Business Information Gateway to ASEAN and Beyond” was launched in June 2021 as a rebranding of the former ASEAN SME Service Centre. The ASEAN Access aims to facilitate SMEs’ participation in international trade through the provision of information on market and trade, linkage to the diverse services available for SMEs provided by SME agencies and service providers within the region and matchmaking activities, among others.
- ASEAN SME Academy
Launched in 2016, the ASEAN SME Academy provides on-line training tools and resources for MSMEs on courses focused on access to financial products, regional and international markets, information and advisory services, and technology and innovation.- ASEAN SME Academy Guidelines for Content Contribution
- Implementation Roadmap to Establish Regionally Comparable and Recognised Unique Business Identification Numbers (UBIN) in ASEAN
- Digitalisation of MSMEs in ASEAN and Russia – Trends and Opportunities
- Policymakers Toolkit Strengthening Women’s Entrepreneurship in National Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Policies and Action Plans
- ASEAN SMEs’ Integration in GVCs: Opportunities and Challenges in Response to Covid-19
- Enhancing the Resilience of MSMEs to Crises and Disasters: Regional Guidelines for ASEAN Governments
- Policy Guidelines for Strengthening Gender Equality in Agriculture Entrepreneurship in ASEAN Countries
- Strengthening Women’s Entrepreneurship in Agriculture in ASEAN Countries
- Strengthening Evidence-based MSME Policymaking in ASEAN: Building up more robust, timely, comparable and accessible business statistics
- Mid-Term Review of the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016-2025
- ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016-2025
- ASEAN SME Policy Index 2024
- ASEAN SME Policy Index 2018
- SAP SMED 2025: 2020 KPI Monitoring Report
- Facilitating the green transition for ASEAN SMEs – A toolkit for policymakers
- ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016 – 2025: 2020 KPI Monitoring Report
- ASEAN Guidelines on Fostering a Vibrant Ecosystem for Startups Across Southeast Asia
- Formalisation of Micro Enterprises in ASEAN
- Alternative Financing Instruments for ASEAN SMEs
- Enterprise Policy Responses to COVID-19 in ASEAN
- Policy Guideline on Digitalisation of ASEAN Micro Enterprises
- ASEAN Regional Principles for Good Business Registration Practices
- MSME Definitions in ASEAN
- Study on MSMEs Participation in the Digital Economy in ASEAN
- Future of ASEAN 50 Success Stories of Digitalisation of ASEAN MSMEs
- ASEAN Institutional Framework on Access to Finance for MSME
- Future of ASEAN 50 Success Stories of Internationalization of ASEAN MSMEs
- Strengthening Women’s Entrepreneurship in ASEAN Towards increasing women’s participation in economic activity
- Handbook for MSME Access to Alternative Sources of Finance in ASEAN
- Facilitating Equity Crowdfunding in the ASEAN Region
- ASEAN Work Programme on Starting a Business
- Directory of Outstanding ASEAN SMEs 2015
- SME Guidebook Towards the AEC 2015
- Directory of Innovative SMEs in ASEAN 2012
- Directory of Outstanding ASEAN SMEs 2011
- ASEAN SME Policy Index 2018
- The Reference Guidebook for ASEAN SME Exporters
- Inclusive Bussiness
- Model Framework for an Inclusive Business Accreditation System in ASEAN
- ASEAN Inclusive Business Awards: Catalogue of the Awardees 2020-2023
- Declaration on Promoting Inclusive Business Models : Empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises for Equitable Growth
- ASEAN Inclusive Business Framework
- Advancing Enabling Policy Environments for Inclusive Business in ASEAN
- Guidelines for the Promotion of Inclusive Business in ASEAN
- Plan of Action for the Promotion of Inclusive Business in ASEAN (2023-2027)
- Briefing Notes – Guidelines for the Promotion of Inclusive Business in ASEAN
Press Releases and Statements
- ASEAN Access at https://aseanaccess.com
- ASEAN SME Academy at http://www.asean-sme-academy.org/
Strategic Action Plan for ASEAN SME Development 2010-2015
No | Strategic Action Plan under SAP SMED 2010-2015 | Project Name | Timeline | Proponent | Output |
| Completed Projects | |||||
1 | Access to Human Resources Development | ASEAN Small Business Competitiveness (SBC) Program | 2015 | Indonesia/ILO | |
| 2 | Access to Finance | Developing an ASEAN Benchmark for SME Credit Rating Methodology | 2014 | Indonesia | |
| 3 | Access to Market and Internationalisation | Improving Rural Living Condition Through One Village One Product (OVOP) movement | 2014 | Indonesia | |
| 4 | Access to Policy Environment | ASEAN SME Policy Index 2014 | 2014 | ERIA/OECD |
|
| 5 | Access to Human Resources Development | Establish a regional program for the Promotion of internship scheme for staff exchanges and visits for skills training. | 2014 | The Philippines | |
| 6 | Access to Technology and Innovation | Strengthening SME Business and Technology Incubator | 2013 | Indonesia | |
| 7 | Access to Information and Advisory Services | Formulation of Case/ Industry Studies to Develop ASEAN Benchmarks and Baselines for SMEs within ASEAN in Three Identified ASEAN Priority Sectors | 2013 | The Philippines |
|
| 8 | Access to Human Resources Development | Establish a Common curriculum for entrepreneurship in ASEAN. | 2011 | Japan | |
ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for MSME Development 2016-2025 (SAP SMED)
| No | Strategic Goal under SAP SMED 2016-2025 | Project Name | Timeline | Proponent | Output |
| Completed Projects | |||||
1 | access to finance | ASEAN Institutional Framework on Access to Finance for MSME | 2016 | ASEAN Secretariat/OECD | |
