TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has launched a publication entitled 'The Directory of Outstanding ASEAN Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) 2015' at the Public Private Dialogue for the Post-2015 ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development (2016-2025) in Siam Reap, Cambodia on Monday, November 25, 2014.

The publication was launched by Cambodia's Secretary of the State Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, H.E. Heng Sokkung, who commended the concerted efforts of the ASEAN SME Agencies Working Group (SMEWG), in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat, for contributing the valuable inputs on the list of outstanding SMEs in all ASEAN Member States (AMS).

In his remarks, H.E. Heng Sokkung reminded the forum's participants of the opportunities that the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015 will provide for the business community, particularly the SMEs in respect of seamless market access and simplified rules under the scheme. As such, according to Heng, it is important to prepare ASEAN SMEs to be more competitive, resilient and prepared to connect more with each other vertically and horizontally, and enhance their linkages into the regional and global value chains.

The Directory is a part of a series of publications on outstanding and innovative SMEs in ASEAN and complements the recently published 'SME Guidebook Towards the AEC 2015', and contains the names of over 800 SMEs across a variety of sectors within ASEAN - including agriculture, automotive, transportation, logistics services, electrical and electronic equipment, e-ASEAN/ ICT, fisheries, healthcare, rubber-based, textile/apparel, tourism and wood-based products, among others. (*)