SMEFF Knowledge Portal: Democratizing SME Finance Intelligence
2024 Theme
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of economies worldwide, accounting for over two-thirds of global employment and playing a critical role in job creation and economic resilience. However, persistent financing gaps limit their potential to drive inclusive growth and recovery from economic shocks.
The G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) MSME Action Plan provides a timely framework to address these challenges, fostering resilience and innovation among SMEs while aligning with sustainable development goals (SDGs). The Global SME Finance Forum, an official side event of the G20 South African Presidency, will present GPFI’s comprehensive roadmap to address the systemic barriers hindering SMEs’ access to finance.
G20 MSME Action Plan: Financing and Policy Enablers
Resilient Value Chains: Strengthen sustainable sourcing, fair labour practices, and circular economy models to future-proof SMEs against disruptions.
Tailored Financial Solutions: Provide customised financial tools to promote the financial health and stability of micro and small enterprises.
Scaling Success Stories: Highlight examples of SMEs achieving growth through innovative financing models and sustainable business frameworks.
Digital Innovation: Powering SME Growth and Global Competitiveness
Value Chain Integration: Highlight success stories of SMEs scaling through digital integration, such as streamlined supply chains or cross-border e-commerce platforms.
Global Reach: Equip SMEs with technology to compete internationally, from cloud based accounting systems to AI-driven market analytics.
Empowering SMEs in Sustainability, Resilience and Growth
Policy Reforms: Promoting policies that facilitate working capital, trade finance, and digital payments while supporting financial technologies that simplify SME operations.
Public-Private Partnerships: Encouraging collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders to mobilize resources, mitigate risks, and scale impactful solutions
Synopsis:
Banks, financial institutions, and technology players that deal with SMEs face a persistent challenge: critical market intelligence, regulatory guidance, and industry best practices remain fragmented across multiple databases and reports. This information asymmetry creates uneven playing fields, leading to suboptimal lending decisions and missed market opportunities.
What if there was a way to instantly access comprehensive insights from years of research, market data, and regulatory information through a single platform? Especially when you are able to access SME Finance Forum and its partners extensive knowledge base which is most topical and reliable sources of data and information. Imagine eliminating the information silos that have historically disadvantaged smaller institutions, enabling all players to make more informed decisions regardless of their size or resources.
Participants discovered how this challenge could be addressed through the Forum’s innovative solution.
Speakers:
Qamar Saleem, Global Head, SME Finance Forum
Sopnendu Mohanty, Group Chief Executive Officer, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)