It seeks to establish and measure the progress of common policies in the countries of the Alliance, taking advantage of the potential of smaller companies as an engine for regional integration, productive transformation and inclusive productivity growth.

December 17, 2024.- The Council of Ministers of the Pacific Alliance (PA), meeting in Santiago, Chile, approved on December 13 the Public-Private Roadmap for the Development of MSMEs and Entrepreneurship, a cross-cutting initiative that seeks to establish and measure the progress of common policies in the countries of the Alliance, taking advantage of the potential of smaller companies as a driver of regional integration, productive transformation and inclusive productivity growth.

This Roadmap, led by the PA Technical Group on SMEs and Entrepreneurship (GTPyme), is based on the study of the Public Policy Index for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Latin America and the Caribbean, a methodology developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with the support of the Development Bank for Latin America -CAF and the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA).

The initiative arose during the First Meeting of PA Exporting SMEs, held in November 2022 in Lima, Peru, where the need to promote the growth, development and competitiveness of business activity within the economies of member countries was identified.

The importance of this Roadmap lies in two key aspects: It fosters collaboration: as a public-private tool, it facilitates collaboration between key actors to establish shared objectives and joint strategies, which allows addressing challenges more effectively; It promotes transparency: its public nature guarantees open access to information and reinforces accountability in the implementation of agreed policies.

The Public-Private Roadmap for the Development of MSMEs and Entrepreneurship was developed on the basis of nine pillars:

1. Institutional framework;
2. Operating environment;
3. Access to financing;
4. Business development services / Public procurement;
5. Innovation and technology;
6. Productive transformation;
7. Market access and internationalization;
8. Digitalization; and
9. Green economy.

The GTPyme will be in charge of its implementation and coordination with the private sector, academia and civil society.

In addition, in the context of the Roadmap for the Digital Market, the PA GTPyme agreed on the Action Plan “Strengthening the capacities of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in their insertion in cross-border electronic commerce between the countries of the Pacific Alliance”, in order to promote the participation of MSMEs in cross-border electronic commerce between the PA countries, and with a duration of two years.

The objectives of the Action Plan are to improve the capacities of a group of selected MSMEs, based on an equal participation of companies owned and/or led by women as a selection criteria, so that they become recurring exporting companies to other PA countries, through cross-border e-commerce.

Communications PPT 2024 Pacific Alliance

9 November 2023.- Within the framework of the II Meeting of the SME Exporter of the Pacific Alliance (PA), which took place on November 9 and 10, in the city of Lima, Peru, the Public-Private Dialogue was held in relation to the proposal of the Public-Private Roadmap, which is currently being developed by the PA SME and Entrepreneurship Technical Group, with a view to promoting the growth, development and competitiveness of the business activity of MSMEs in the economies of the member countries of the Pacific Alliance.

The Dialogue aimed to establish a shared understanding of the challenges faced by MSMEs and entrepreneurship in the four countries and how the public and private sector can jointly address them; the promotion of cooperation between the public sector, businesses and other stakeholders to implement effective measures in support of MSMEs and Entrepreneurship; analyzing the impact of previous policies and programs related to MSMEs and Entrepreneurship, and determining what has worked and what needs to be improved; and promoting transparency in the decision-making process with all stakeholders.

This activity was led by the Pacific Alliance SME and Entrepreneurship Technical Group, with the participation of international organizations, including the IDB, OECD and ECLAC, representatives of micro, small and medium-sized companies, representatives of cooperatives and trade associations, and representatives of the PA Business Council (CEAP).

It should be noted that this type of dialogue is essential to facilitate collaboration with a view to establishing shared objectives and joint work strategies to address challenges more effectively.

The PA Council of Ministers approved a key update for the digital transformation of the Pacific Alliance.

December 16, 2024.- On December 13, the Pacific Alliance Council of Ministers approved the update of the Regional Digital Market Roadmap (MDR), a key document that seeks to boost digital transformation in the region, adapting to new technologies and emerging trends such as Artificial Intelligence. In addition, essential areas such as intellectual property will be strengthened to create a more robust and modern digital environment.

The work that led to this MDR Roadmap began in the 2020 Presidential Declaration of the Pacific Alliance, where the objective of improving access to digital services and products and fostering the digital economy as an engine of growth is outlined. Since then, important meetings and dialogues have been held with the participation of governments, academia and the private sector to review and update this plan. The first version of this Roadmap, which saw the light of day in 2021, marked an important milestone in the joint work of the Pacific Alliance member countries to strengthen digital trade and promote an inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystem.

In February 2024, the Subcommittee on Digital Economy (SCED) met to review the status of the Roadmap, agreeing on the need for updates to keep the actions and objectives outlined in place. Thus, in July, the Regional Digital Market Dialogue made it possible to present these updates to actors from the private sector, civil society, academia and trade associations, gathering valuable contributions from experts and aligning the proposals with the current needs of the region.

This update contemplates two cross-cutting objectives: to ensure that the evolution of the digital economy is inclusive, with greater collaboration between all sectors; and incorporates a follow-up system to monitor progress and keep all members of the Alliance informed about the progress of the initiatives. This will ensure that the goals are met and that digital trade continues to grow in the region.

In addition, in the context of the Roadmap for the Digital Market, the PA GTPyme agreed on the Action Plan “Strengthening the capacities of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in their insertion in cross-border electronic commerce between the countries of the Pacific Alliance”, in order to promote the participation of MSMEs in cross-border electronic commerce between the PA countries, and with a duration of two years.

The objectives of the Action Plan are to improve the capacities of a group of selected MSMEs, based on an equal participation of companies owned and/or led by women as a selection criteria, so that they become recurring exporting companies to other PA countries, through cross-border e-commerce.

Communications PPT 2024 Pacific Alliance