The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, the private sector and development partners on September 9 held the first-ever national consultation on “ASEAN Access” via Zoom, to explore ways to use the online portal to develop and expand the market reach of local businesses.

Directed more towards regional small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), ASEAN Access was launched on June 16 and could potentially be linked to the KhmerSME website, developed by the ministry and scheduled to be launched next month.

The consultation was attended by representatives of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), Pact Cambodia, Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA), Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (YEAC) and the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (Osmep).

The talk aimed to convey the advantages of ASEAN Access to local businesses and invite SMEs to matchmaking events on September 21 and 30, organised by the platform in partnership with Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

Businesses were also invited to register on the portal to have access to the latest information regarding regulations on international markets, goods and service trade, and e-training and other events.

Speaking at the event, industry ministry’s director-general for Small and Medium Enterprises and Handicraft Chhea Layhy underlined that ASEAN Access provides comprehensive information on trade and market access within ASEAN and beyond.

“SMEs will be able to find new products, opportunities, explore trade and business matchmaking events and stay up-to-date with new business and trade information for the ASEAN region,” he said.