Small business

Basic principles for the role of central government in SME support
Central government should:
- Trust the private sector,  take risks and promote entrepreneurial attitudes in government
agencies; local authorities can play the lead role in SME development;
- Delegate real power to the local level and generally encourage truly bottom-up development,
with a central role for entrepreneurs;
- Adapt small business services  to specific needs of localities and SME segments;
- Facilitate the creation of markets for services;
- Strengthen the role of stakeholders, especially in the creation of sustainable local institutions
via stakeholder partnerships and the provision of services through business associations;
- Focus on effectiveness of promotion activities rather than just outputs;
- Take a long term strategic view, and encourage the adoption of long-term views in the business
community;
- Give status to entrepreneurs in the community as role models.
- Consult regularly and openly with small business representative groups on policy issues that
affect the growth of the sector and programme development.