The First ADB-OECD Workshop on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for SMEs: Lessons from Asian and OECD Areas’ Crises

Auditorium C-D, ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines : 6 March 2013 - 7 March 2013

Background

This workshop is a part of the ADB-OECD joint study on SME finance with a main topic of innovative SME financing modality amid an era of global financial uncertainty.

The workshop comprises two pillars with six key sessions:

  1. bank lending efficiency with discussions on
    1. policy responses to SME finance in pre- and post- crises,
    2. financial infrastructure needed to expand SMEs’ access to finance, and
    3. sustainable credit guarantee business for SMEs; and
  2. diversified financing modality with discussions on
    1. financing instruments needed for internationalization of SMEs,
    2. roles of public financial institutions, and
    3. capital market financing for SMEs.

The program is designed to facilitate interactive discussions among all participants in order to extract real needs and opportunities toward a new regime of SME finance in Asia and the Pacific.

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will have:

  • familiarized themselves with emerging trends in SME finance and policies in the Asian and OECD regions
  • identified key policy issues for improving SMEs’ access to finance under the era of global financial uncertainty
  • encouraged policy discussions on innovative SME financing modality responding to possible financial crises

Expected outputs

  • Summary report of the workshop
  • Publication: ADB-OECD Joint Study on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for SMEs -- Lessons from Asian and OECD Areas’ Crises (tentative title)

Target participants

Participation is by invitation only. (For those who have interest in this event, please consult with the workshop secretariat for your participation.)

  • Policy makers and regulators responsible for SMEs’ access to finance and SME sector development
  • Financial institutions (banks, non-banks, and capital market organizers) responsible for financing SMEs
  • SME associations and networks
  • Academies, researchers, and experts in the field of SME finance
  • Bilateral and multilateral organizations (development agencies, international organizations, NGOs, etc.)
  • ADB staff responsible for SME projects