Canberra, Mar 8, 2007 AEST (ABN Newswire) - APEC has launched the first of four capability-building seminars intended to help government policy makers reduce red tape and ease business regulations for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The first "Ease of Doing Business Seminar" looked at ways to minimize bureaucracy involved in starting a business and shared procedures for developing economies to consider adopting.
Representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Peru detailed the successful reforms that have taken place in their economies in recent years.
The Moderator of the seminar, New Zealand Senior Official for APEC, Ambassador Rupert Holborow, said the seminar will help individual economies to improve systems for business regulation.
"APEC is very keen to help business to prosper through the removal of red tape and other obstacles to success," Ambassador Holborow said at the seminar.
"The Leaders of APEC Member Economies have given us clear direction to find ways to reduce behind-the-border barriers to trade in the Asia-Pacific.
"This seminar is one way that we can look at government practices that have stimulated business growth and share these with other governments in the region."
Ambassador Holborow said there have been dramatic changes in the way governments and business interact over the Internet, and details of these processes were shared with developing economies at the seminar.
"In some economies you can now register small businesses and companies online so that a process that used to take months can now be completed in minutes," Ambassador Holborow said.
"For example, in New Zealand and Australia more than 80% of companies are incorporated by company owners online, with fewer than 20% being incorporated by agents such as lawyers.
"The other startling fact is that most businesses in Canada, Australia and New Zealand are able to register their businesses in less than fifteen minutes.
"This seminar has enabled economies to share information on streamlining their procedures. We hope this will lead to regulatory reforms around the region that will help business to trade more, employ more people and enhance prosperity in their economies."
The Ease of Doing Business Seminar was held immediately before the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting that is taking place in Hobart on March 8-9.
Contact
Christopher Hawkins
TEL: +61 (0)433 810 844
E-mail: ch@apec.org
Anita Douglas
TEL: +65 9172 6427
E-mail: ad@apec.org
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