Good Regulatory Practices to Support Small and Medium Enterprises in Southeast Asia
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can find it challenging to cope and comply with regulations and adapt regulatory changes. Good regulatory practice (GRP) helps create a stable and enabling regulatory environment for investment, trade, and entrepreneurhsip, and thus supports healthy economies and regional competitiveness. This report is the first comprehensive stock-taking of GRP implementation in Southeast Asia to support local SMEs and their integration into global value chains. For each of the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the report provides examples of GRP tools and approaches in areas such as administrative burden reduction, e-government, regulatory impact assessment, ex post evaluation, and stakeholder consultation. The report also includes an overview of collective efforts pursued at the ASEAN level to promote the GRP agenda across the region.
Cambodia
Cambodia has been undertaking regulatory reforms aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and diversity of Cambodian businesses since early 2004. It has introduced a number of policies and plans to improve the quality and efficiency of administrative services and public financial management, including systematic impact assessments and the use of information and communications technology (ICT). Recently, Cambodia has installed a central oversight and quality assurance body in its executive branch to oversee regulatory policymaking, making it among the first countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to do so. Cambodia has also embraced convergence with regional and national standards in formulating regulatory policies, including in tax collection and reporting. Support for micro- and small enterprises has been particularly highlighted in numerous national development plans and promoted at the highest level by the Prime Minister.