
********************************************
The Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, left for Singapore this (October 7) morning to attend the 16th Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Ministerial Meeting to be held on October 8 and 9.
With the theme ¡§Helping SMEs Access Global Markets and Overcome Trade Barriers¡¨, the meeting will bring together ministers and senior officials from the 21 APEC member economies to discuss three key issues to enhance the competitiveness and recovery of SMEs after the global economic crisis. They are: helping SMEs position for growth after the crisis, developing market research and market access capabilities, and supporting the implementation of the APEC SME strategic plan. Members are expected to issue a joint declaration at the end of the meeting.
Mr So will return to Hong Kong on Friday (October 9) night.
Ends/Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Issued at HKT 09:30
NNNN