1 - 7 March 2001
Issue No.523
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 1 - 7 March 2001 Issue No.523 |
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Supporting SMEs
EGYPT hosted the G-15 experts meeting on small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) this week. The meeting, which lasted for two days was organised by the Social Fund for Development (SFD) and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in preparation for the upcoming G-15 summit which will take place in May in Indonesia.Ambassador Mounir Zahran, President Hosni Mubarak's representative to the G-15, said that governments of the countries comprising the group should increase their cooperation with the private sector to develop an effective strategy for enhancing the role of SMEs in economic and social development.
According to Zahran, the SFD has done much to enhance cooperation among G-15 countries in the field of SMEs since the organisation's last summit hosted by Egypt in June 2000.
Noting that G-15 countries' share in global trade is low, managing director of the SFD Hussein El-Gammal suggested that globalisation has done little for most of these countries. But this situation is not without its positive side, according to El-Gammal. "As latecomers to globalisation, G-15 member countries can learn from others' mistakes," he said.
El-Gammal added that becoming a player in the global market will require a long-term commitment to education and training as well as research and development.
"Under the umbrella of the G-15 countries, Egypt has initiated successful cooperative endeavours in the field of SMEs, especially in creating joint ventures, offering investment opportunities and encouraging bilateral trade," he said.
The G-15 group actually consists of 17 developing countries from Africa, South America and Asia.
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