BOI, PCCI team up to link ASEAN MSMEs with MNCs

MANILA, Philippines — The Board of Investments (BOI) is teaming up with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) to strengthen the linkages of micro, small, and medium enterprises in ASEAN with multinational corporations (MNCs).

The BOI said it has partnered with the PCCI for the region’s MSMEs to meet and discuss with big companies possible supplier tie-ups through one-on-one meetings and business networking and matching.

The agency said around 73 MSMEs and multinational enterprises from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand and Myanmar have so far signified interest to participate in the business matching activity.

The companies which expressed interests are in the areas of automotive, engineering services, supply of agricultural products and manufacturing, the BOI said.

“Our goal is to showcase the region’s MSMEs as possible suppliers of products and services to international companies. As we further encourage them to enhance their competitiveness, in the same way, we also want them to expand their markets and link them to more business opportunities by participating in regional and global value chains,” Trade Secretary and BOI chairman Ramon Lopez said.

The BOI said it is in close coordination with PCCI in identifying more local participants in the business matching as well as with the ASEAN’s Coordinating Committee on Investment (CCI) and the ASEAN’s Coordinating Committee on Micro Small and Medium Enterprise for additional regional participants.

The linking of ASEAN MSMEs with MNCs is one of the four key deliverables under the Focused and Strategic Action Agenda on Investment, an initiative of the Philippines which the ASEAN CCI agreed to adopt as a priority deliverable in its 69th meeting in Manila last February.

The PCCI, the country’s largest business organization, is holding this week its 43rd annual Philippine Business Conference (PBC) where it is expected to come up with a list of resolutions to submit to President Duterte.

 “We hope that through the PBC we will be able to help government focus on its deliverables and not be sidetracked by politics and other disturbing news,” PCCI president George Barcelon said.