Stakeholder Consultation and Report Launch on ‘Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ Access to Finance in Samoa’
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) make a significant contribution to economic growth and job creation across Asia and the Pacific. However, they often encounter difficulties in accessing finance, with women owned MSME's particularly underserved by financial institutions, due to economic and socio-cultural factors.
The study titled: ‘Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ Access to Finance in Samoa’ analysed the supply and demand of financial services for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Samoa, as well as Samoa's policy and regulatory frameworks already in place, as well as gaps which need to be addressed to enable MSMEs to better access and use financial services.
The launch and stakeholder consultation on the reports will aim to further discuss and disseminate the report’s findings and recommendations. While also discussing and further determining coordination and collective actions among key stakeholders.
The consultation aims to:
- Further dissemination of the findings and recommendations in a multi-stakeholder format.
- Discuss the key recommendations and how the recommendations can be applied and taken forward to support MSME access to finance and business growth in Samoa.
- Discuss the key recommendations and how the recommendations can be applied to specifically support women owned/led MSMEs in Samoa.
- To gain consensus on the key recommendations to be taken forward, the responsible entity to lead such initiatives and consensus as to what additional support/resources/efforts are needed to advance the recommendations into action.