Workshop on SME Trade Finance in the CAREC Region

Co-sponsored by Asian Development Bank (ADB), CAREC Institute, and Xiamen National Accounting Institute, the workshop assisted CAREC countries to promote small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) trade finance consistent with the CAREC 2030 priority of bolstering SME financing through cross-country learning.

The 2-day workshop provided opportunity to exchange views on the current state of SME trade finance in Central Asia, including issues related to business environment for SMEs and innovation.

The workshop also discussed the role of commercial banks in providing trade finance to SMEs; existing and potential deployment of trade financing resources such as trade finance program, supply chain finance, and establishment of trade credit agency; as well as success stories of past SME finance projects in the CAREC region.

Samad Bashirli from CAREC Institute, Guangzhong Liu from Xiamen National Accounting Institute, and Giacomo Giuseppe Giannetto from ADB, welcomed the participants to the workshop. Other resource persons from ADB included Kijin Kim, who discussed the results of the 2017 Trade Finance Gaps, Growth, and Job Survey for countries in the region, and Nana Khurodze, who presented the Trade Finance and Supply Chain Finance programs.