With respect to the types of enterprises, one may distinguish between informal sector enterprises, essentially microenterprises, and enterprises in the formal sector, which include some microenterprises, SMEs and large firms.

Major obstacles to SME development

This is particularly true of manufacturing firms, which are the main focus of this document.

As for the main tasks and responsibilities of enterprises

Previously, these services were available only for business to business operations, mainly tour operators and travel agencies.

Training courses were designed to meet the needs of small business owners, including borrowers from the Agency s revolving loan funds, potential entrepreneurs and women enterprise owners, who generally had few other opportunities for business or management training.

454. Statistics on the activities of small enterprises and microenterprises tend to underestimate the role of women as entrepreneurs, mainly because it tends to be assumed that family businesses are run by the head of the household.

Mr. Toru Ueno, Principal Administrator, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development (CFE), Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) and Entrepreneurship Division, OECD

Innovative strategies, policies and cooperative behaviour of enterprises so far mainly in the developed countries have created opportunities and challenges for the enterprise sector.

Most of the enterprises in the first category are either foreign owned or in the public sector.

In Mexico, for example, an important concept in the Guadalajara pilot project on ISO 14000 for SMEs is the cooperation between large and small enterprises.

To promote the integration of women trainees into the programme, mainly in the business sector

The main concern of the EDB was and still is to attract foreign (preferably global) firms to invest in Singapore.

Some of our development programmes have focused primarily on the provision of micro enterprise loans for small business persons.

Non affiliated and small employers lag behind large employers and those affiliated to employers' organisations.

The first set of activities is associated with the operations of larger established firms that influence economic growth primarily through advancing market opportunities for smaller enterprises, which in turn create jobs.26 Those are influenced by general business conditions termed the general national framework conditions .

The private sector has been developing mainly in the spheres of commerce and services less in that of production.

In particular, SMEs are primary agents of such growth.

Furthermore, national youth led business funds could be established in order to provide necessary assistance to young entrepreneurs.

In particular, those conditions are critical for the operations of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are responsible for most employment and income generation opportunities and can be identified as a major driver of poverty alleviation.2

Special requirements of the establishment.

Needs of SMEs

The basic problem in most African countries is the low number of productive enterprises.

The development of enterprises, especially small and medium sized enterprises, is essential to economic growth and employment.

One business participant noted that it was contrary to democratic principles to expect a company to enforce international human rights standards locally in this way.

C. Needs of small and medium sized enterprises

Needs of Small and Medium sized Enterprises

Although many SMEs still rely mainly on domestic markets, the internationally active share of SMEs is increasing.

(b) Women and emerging entrepreneurs often have needs that are different from those of other entrepreneurs.

Seventy five per cent of Internet sales is B2B, mainly between large firms.

While employer representatives base their counter arguments mainly on the ability of the establishment to pay.

However, an enterprise with special needs may purchase AMU courses specially tailored to suit the needs of the enterprise

(b) the chief economic activities are linked to trade, manufacturing and services, which together account for about 97.8 .

Sensitizing and informing employers and enterprises

Equal treatment and small employers

Of the enterprises that would be rated with a red card, heavy polluters such as those involved in electroplating, printing and dyeing, and prevention and control dominate. A number of waste water treatment plants were also listed.

The cost of connectivity is one the major factors limiting the extent to which enterprises, particularly those of developing countries, incorporate ICT into their business processes.

41. Incoherence in the formulation of macroeconomic and enterprise specific policies is often more costly for SMEs than for larger enterprises.

The days when SMEs needed to become big players before embarking on international expansion seem to be over this is one of the main results of globalization.

In view of the emerging trend of increasing outward FDI from developing countries this development could also be further analyzed.

Thus, there is a need to identify the main issues affecting the growth and development of enterprises in those countries.

67. Productive enterprises and the services that support their trading activities all depend on people.

This measure could remove one important obstacle to growing microenterprises into SMEs.

Addressing the needs of SMEs

31. The representative of Turkey said that enterprises, especially small and medium sized ones, should be supported, as they played a primary role in employment creation, manufacturing and export development.