JAKARTA, 25 July 2023 – In an effort to promote circular economy transition in the region, over 50 government and business representatives from ASEAN Member States (AMS) came together for the Regional Policy Dialogue on ASEAN MSMEs Participation in Circular Economy on 25-26 July in Jakarta.
Hosted by Indonesia’s Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, the dialogue served as a platform for industry and policy experts to shed light on recent policy trends in ASEAN and AMS and provide insights on successful and innovative circular business models.
The dialogue culminated with a decision to produce policy recommendations on ASEAN MSMEs’ participation in the circular economy. The recommendations are aimed to promote regional cooperation in the MSME sector to identify challenges, opportunities, and share good practices in promoting MSME participation in the circular economy.
In his opening speech, Deputy Minister for SMEs for Indonesia’s Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs Hanung Harimba Rachman said, “As the chair of ASEAN in 2023, Indonesia has adopted the theme: “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” which focuses on growth and prosperity. We aim to strengthen ASEAN to become a fast-growing, inclusive and sustainable economic region.”
In his remarks, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community Satvinder Singh highlighted the challenges stemming from the overuse of finite natural resources and urged ASEAN to come together and explore alternative resources. “Embracing the circular economy is imperative for ASEAN, not only to safeguard our livelihoods from future challenges such as climate change and food security but also for ASEAN as a region to remain relevant and competitive in international trade,” he said.
Echoing this sentiment Shameer Khanal, Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Lead Advisor/Cluster Coordinator ASEAN, underlined the importance of capacity building and public support schemes for MSMEs to prepare for new business opportunities and access to foreign markets.
“In this context, GIZ, with the support of the German Government, focuses on collaborating thematically with ASEAN on cross-border trade while remaining open to cooperation and policy dialogues on all emerging topics.” He also encouraged MSMEs to utilise the ASEAN Access, a portal designed to facilitate the internationalisation of MSMEs in all sectors, including those with circular business models, through business matching, market talks, and capacity building activities.
The policy dialogue is an initiative under ASEAN Access on the occasion of Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2023. The event was organised in consultation with the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on MSMEs and the Task Force on ASEAN Access with support from GIZ as funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through the GIZ SME Promotion in ASEAN II project.
Original News: here
August 11, 2023
