Key Excerpts from the 2003 APEC Joint Ministerial Statement

 Key Excerpts from the 2003 APEC Joint Ministerial Statement

APEC (2003/8/8). 2003 APEC Joint Ministerial Statement. Chiang-Mai, Thailand.

2003 APEC JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

(2003年APEC部長聯合聲明)

 “STRENGTHENING AN APEC ENTREPRENEURIAL SOCIETY”

(強化中的一個APEC企業家的社會)

3. Ministers congratulated Thailand for successfully hosting the 1st Sub-Group on Micro enterprises in the 17th APEC SME Working Group on 4 August 2003. The Sub-Group reaffirmed the unique needs of micro-enterprises which require policy responses different from those applying to small and medium enterprises. The Action Plan to promote APEC Micro-Enterprise as proposed by the Sub-Group and subsequently endorsed by the Ministers is wide-ranging and identifies several paths for the development of policies to support and grow micro-enterprises. Ministers also instructed their officials and agencies to include the micro-enterprise perspective in all projects and initiatives undertaken by the SME Working Group.

部長們祝賀泰國於2003年8月4日成功主辦了第17屆APEC中小企業工作小組微型企業小組會議。該小組重申了微型企業的特殊需求，認為其政策因應措施與適用於中小企業的政策有所不同。小組提出的、隨後獲得部長們認可的《促進APEC微型企業行動計畫》內容廣泛，為制定支持和發展微型企業的政策指明了若干途徑。部長們也指示其官員和機構在中小企業工作小組所進行的所有計畫和倡議中納入微型企業的觀點。

7. Ministers commended the process of building private-public partnership to address the needs of entrepreneurs in APEC. It has been shown that entrepreneurs and SMEs are a major engine for growth and jobs. There are about 240 million people in the APEC Asian region who attempt to start a business each year. There is a considerable shortage of skilled and experienced entrepreneurs in the region, which needs about 60 million more experienced entrepreneurs. If these nascent entrepreneurs can get better access to products and services aimed at meeting their information, advisory and functional management needs, then they will be more likely to succeed. Ministers commended the efforts of Thailand, U.S.A, PECC and ABAC to address this problem by exploring the opportunities for an APEC Entrepreneur Consortium.

部長們讚揚了為滿足APEC企業家需求而建立公私合作夥伴關係(PPP)的進程。事實證明，企業家和中小企業是經濟成長和就業的主要引擎。APEC亞洲地區每年約有2.4億人嘗試創業。該地區技能嫻熟、經驗豐富的企業家嚴重短缺，需要約6000萬名經驗豐富的企業家。如果這些新興企業家能夠更好地獲得旨在滿足其資訊、諮詢和職能管理需求的各種產品和服務，那麼他們成功的可能性將大大增加。部長們讚揚了泰國、美國、APEC企業家聯盟（PECC）和APEC工商會（ABAC）探索建立APEC企業家聯盟的可能性，即為解決這一問題所做的努力。

21. APEC economies can encourage venture investing by providing favorable tax treatment, reducing government regulations, offering public-private investment programs, enforcing intellectual property rights regulations, promoting corporate responsibility and eliminating corruption. These efforts can facilitate the provision of a significant source of financing for entrepreneurs.

   APEC經濟體可以透過提供優惠的稅務待遇、減少政府監管、提供公私合作投資項目、加強智慧財產權(IPRs)保護、促進企業社會責任(CSR)以及消除貪腐來鼓勵投資項目。這些措施有助於為創業者提供重要的融資來源。

22. Ministers welcomed Chinese Taipei’s proposal for an APEC Symposium on “Best Practices for Financing Chains” to be held in Taipei later date this year, and encouraged this Symposium to map-out “Best Practice Guidelines for Financing Chains” for APEC member economies to apply in their future activities.

   部長們歡迎中華台北提議今年晚些時候在台北舉辦APEC「資金鏈管理最佳實例」(Best Practices for Financing Chains)研討會，並鼓勵該研討會為APEC成員經濟體制定「應用資金鏈的最佳實例指導方針」(Best Practice Guidelines for Financing Chains)，供其在未來的活動中應用。

32. Ministers also commended Australia for its series of self-funded seminars in 2003 on “Growing the APEC SME Exporter Community”, which provided an opportunity for member economies to gain a greater appreciation from APEC small businesses, small business associations and industry groups of their views on how APEC could tackle the important issue of identifying and reducing impediments to trade for regional small businesses.

   部長們也讚揚了澳洲在 2003 年自費舉辦的​​一系列「發展APEC中小企業出口商社群」研討會，這些研討會為成員經濟體提供了一個機會，使其能夠更好地了解APEC小型企業、小型企業協會和產業團體對APEC如何解決識別和減少區域小型企業貿易障礙這一重要問題的看法。

35. Ministers also welcomed Australia’s proposal for a research project to evaluate options for the more effective identification and monitoring of impediments to SME export activity. Ministers encouraged all member economies to co-operate and actively participate in the project.

   部長們也對澳洲提出的研究計畫提案表示歡迎，該計畫旨在評估更有效地識別和監測中小企業出口活動障礙的各種方案。部長們鼓勵所有成員經濟體開展合作並積極參與該計畫。

59. The APEC region has endured the impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic. This disease has not only taken a number of lives, but has also resulted in economic volatility in many member economies. APEC SMEs have been affected by weakened business confidence, reduced tourism and travel, and increased transaction costs. Ministers undertook to do their utmost to revitalize their economies, in particular to help SMEs and micro-enterprises, overcome the difficulties arising from the outbreak of SARS.

   APEC 區域遭受了嚴重急性呼吸症候群（SARS）疫情的衝擊。該疾病不僅奪走了許多人的生命，也導致許多成員經濟體出現經濟波動。 APEC中小企業受到商業信心減弱、旅遊業和旅行減少以及交易成本增加的影響。各成員國部長承諾將盡力重振經濟，特別是幫助中小企業和微型企業克服SARS疫情帶來的困難。