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The characteristics of SMEs in Andean countries are similar:
they are concentrated in trade, service and handicraft
activities and they have distinctive common features like a low
level of investment and a high level of employment, among other
things. Shortcomings limit their competitiveness, but they do,
however, offer numerous advantages, such as flexibility. |
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ANDEAN
SME
BYLAWS |
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The
Subregional Committee
on Small and Medium
Industry agreed,
at the proposal
of the CAN General
Secretariat, to
establish Bylaws
for Andean SMEs
that would define
Andean SMEs at the
Community level
and identify active
policies on programs
and instruments
to support SMEs. |
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ACCESS
TO
CREDIT |
| Access to
timely and inexpensive credit is one of the limitations on
the performance of Andean SMEs, due basically to the
weakness of their collateral and their high risk ratings.
As a result of this situation, it has been agreed to
create an Andean Guarantee System for SMEs as a Community
mechanism for coordinating and reinforcing the efforts
being made by the Andean countries in the area of
guarantees. |
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SUBREGIONAL
COMMITTEE
ON
SMALL
AND
MEDIUM
INDUSTRY |
| The Subregional
Committee on Small and Medium Industry, consisting of two
titular representatives from each of the Andean countries, was
created by Decision 209 of May 1986 to counsel the major
integration bodies on aspects relating to the promotion of and
support for this sector and to collaborate in the implementation
of a subregional program. |
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TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION |
| The
implementation of an Andean Technological Innovation Program (ATIP)
is planned. This will include preparing SMEs to enter
international markets, training them in export techniques and a
knowledge of the target markets, sensitizing them to adopt
associative strategies, and developing business management
capacities, particularly in the use of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a tool for access to
markets. |
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