[3 April 2018] -  The 2^nd ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Starting a Business was held in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR on the 2^nd of April 2018. The Second Dialogue now takes the the theme of “Registration of Micro-enterprises and Family Businesses – What, Why and How in ASEAN region?”.   The policy dialogue was held by the ASEAN Secretariat with support from the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented through GIZ under the project ASEAN Secretariat Post 2015: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development.

Economica Vietnam was commissioned by the ASEAN Secretariat and GIZ to conceptualize, coordinate, moderate and document the discussions of the dialogue. Furthermore, Economica Vietnam is also tasked with developing the Monitoring Tool for ASEAN Member States to self-assess and monitor the progress of the implementation of the ASEAN Work Programme on Starting a Business, developing a publication to reflect the voices of different private and public stakeholders on the issue of business formalization, and contributing to the Generally Accepted Principles by ASEAN Member States on Encouraging Microenterprises, Home Based Businesses, Household Businesses to Register.

With 80 participants ranging from ASEAN SME agencies, Business Registration Agencies, Tax Agencies, SME Associations, Micro Enterprises and Academia actively exchange views, the Policy Dialogue created a lively forum to share relevant policies, good practices, and tools to facilitate regulatory reforms, policy development, implementation of programs to strengthen the performance of informal micro enterprises. The discussion helped ASEAN policy makers to take a deep dive on common regional issues or policy areas in encouraging micro enterprises to register. The Dialogue also identified the most relevant issues for Member States to address to encourage micro-enterprises and small business to register.