RAYMUND B. HABARADAS
How does the Philippines fare against other Asean member states (AMSs) in terms of providing support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)? Just a little better than average. This is according to a report published by the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (ERIA) in 2012. Dubbed Asean SME Policy Index 2014: Towards Competitive and Innovative Asean SMEs, the report presents the SME development policies and actions implemented by the 10 Asean countries, compares their experiences and performance, checks whether they have been consistent with the policy guidelines of the Asean Strategic Plan for SME Development (2010-15), and proposes reforms that these countries ought to put at the top of their priorities.