DRAFT AGENDA

MENA-OECD WORKING GROUP ON SME

AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP POLICY

Building inclusive,

resilient and

competitive

economies through

effective SME policies

10-11 July 2018

Sheraton hotel

Tunis, Tunisia

MENA-OECD Comptitiveness Programme

OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING

The MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme and the Ministry of Industry of Tunisia are organising the tenth meeting of the MENA-OECD Working Group on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Entrepreneurship Policy.

During this meeting, a new publication produced by the OECD and the European Training Foundation (ETF) will be launched: the Interim Assessment of the SME Policy Index in the Middle East and North Africa. The report was prepared in close co-operation with National Coordinators in each MED economy. Various government and private sector organisations, as well as EU Delegations in the Southern Mediterranean provided important inputs and comments. This regional report assesses important reforms made by MED economies over the past five years in four policy domains:

1. The foundations of SME policy: definitions, statistics and institutions 2. Improving business environments for SMEs and entrepreneurs 3. Fostering access to finance 4. Nurturing start-ups and SME growth 5. Entrepreneurial human capital for entrepreneurship development

The meeting will identify how the Working Group can support the improvement of SME policies to address key development questions for the MENA region:

What are the key reforms since the SME Policy Index 2014? What are the priorities ahead? (presentation of the Interim assessment of SME Policies in the MENA region).

How can we better take into account the diversity of SMEs in policymaking? Are we really responding to the needs of micro firms, family businesses, high potential SMEs, innovative entrepreneurs?

How have recent legal and policy reforms taken into account gender equality and women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship? What are some of the good practices in the region?

How to make the most of clusters, networks and partnerships for SME competitiveness.

THE MENA-OECD COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAMME

The Competitiveness Programme offers a platform for MENA-OECD co-operation on policies to promote the development of a vibrant private sector as an engine for growth and prosperity. Building on OECD standards, tools and working methods, the Programme:

Promotes policy dialogue and peer-learning among MENA and OECD countries and engages governments, the private sector, civil society and other actors.

Creates synergies with regional and international partners and initiatives (e.g. League of Arab States, Union for the Mediterranean, African Development Bank, Arab Monetary Fund, Deauville Partnership, UNDP, IMF, European Union, etc.).

Supports MENA countries in the identification and implementation of reforms and paves the way for stronger involvement and partnerships of MENA countries with the OECD.

The Competitiveness Programme is part of the MENA-OECD Initiative on Governance and Competitiveness. The Working Group provides a forum for multilateral dialogue and peer learning among MENA and OECD policymakers, experts and representatives of the private sector and regional and international organisations. The Working Group supports MENA economies in the identification and implementation of SME and entrepreneurship policy reforms through regional co-operation and country specific support. Its activities include regional dialogue, policy analysis and advice, and monitoring of the implementation of reforms. The Working Group is co-chaired by Tunisia and Italy.

MENA-OECD Comptitiveness Programme

PROGRAMME SUMMARY MENA-OECD Working Group on SME and Entrepreneurship Policy

July 10-11, 2018 Sheraton hotel, Tunisia

Registration 8.30-9.00

Welcome remarks

Lunch

9.00-9.20

9.20-11.50

12.30-14.00

14.00-17.15

Launch of the Interim

Assessment on SME

Policies: OECD & ETF

(Coffee break during the

session)

Showcasing of reforms

(Coffee break during the

session)

DAY ONE

Closing 12.15-12.30

Coffee break

9.00-10.30

10.30-10.45

10.45-12.15

Legal and policy reforms to

empower women

entrepreneurs

Clusters: different models to

create growth environments

DAY TWO

11.50-12.30 SME Policy WG – Programme

of Work

MENA-OECD Comptitiveness Programme

MENA-OECD Working Group on SME and Entrepreneurship Policy Day 1: 10 July 2018

8.30–9.00 Registration of participants

9.00–9.20 Welcome remarks

‒ Ministry of International Co-operation

‒ Welcome by the co-chairs of the Working Group

Mr. Sadok BEJJA, General Director of SME promotion, Ministry Industry and Commerce, Tunisia

Mrs. Maria Ludovica AGRO, General Director, Agency for Territorial Cohesion, Italy

‒ Mr. Antonio FANELLI, Special Advisor, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD

9.20 – 11.50 Session 1: Launch of the Interim Assessment on SME Policies

Chair

Speakers

‒ Mrs. Maria Ludovica AGRO, General Director, Agency for Territorial Cohesion, Italy; and Co-chair of the Working Group

‒ Mr. Jorge GALVEZ MENDEZ, Economist, Middle East and Africa, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD

‒ Mrs. Pilar SANCHEZ-BELLA, Policy Analyst, Middle East and Africa, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD

‒ Mrs. Mariavittoria GARLAPPI, Specialist in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise skills, Operations Department, European Training Foundation (ETF)

In this session, the OECD and the European Training Foundation will present the results of the Interim Assessment on SME Policies, a regional assessment of major actions in five policy domains: 1) The foundations of SME policy: definitions, statistics and institutions; 2) Improving business environments for SMEs and entrepreneurs; 3) Fostering access to finance; 4) Nurturing start-ups and SME growth; and 5) Entrepreneurial human capital for entrepreneurship development.

Open discussion

A coffee break will take place during the session

11.50–12.30 Session 2: Programme of Work of the SME Policy Working Group

Speakers ‒ Mr. Antonio FANELLI, Special Advisor, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD

During its 10th meeting, the SME Policy Working Group will discuss the Programme of Work for the next year. The discussion will be based on the strategic note for 2018-2019. Participants are invited to provide their views regarding their priorities and proposals for events and publications in the next year.

Open discussion

12.30–14.00 Lunch break

14.00–15.30 Session 3: Showcasing of reforms – Strategies and legal framework

Chair

Speakers

‒ Mr. Sadok BEJJA, General Director of SME promotion, Ministry Industry and Commerce, Tunisia

‒ Algeria – Mr. Abdalla TELAILIA*, New SME law

‒ Egypt – New SME agency – Mrs. Heba AHMED, Projects Monitoring Manager, Ministry of Trade and Industry

‒ Libya – Short Term Action Plan on SME Policies – Dr. Abdelnasr ABUZKIA,

MENA-OECD Comptitiveness Programme

President, Libya Enterprise

The Interim Assessment on SME Policies identifies major reforms governments in the Middle East and North Africa have implemented. This session will invite representatives from the countries to present in-depth select reforms that have addressed the policy, institutional or regulatory framework.

Open discussion

15.30–15.45 Coffee break

15.45–17.15 Session 4: Showcasing of reforms – Business climate and human capital

Chair

Speakers

‒ Mrs. Maria Ludovica AGRO, General Director, Agency for Territorial Cohesion, Italy

‒ Jordan, PA, UAE – Collateral registry – Mr. Samer QUBAIN, Specialist on collatereal registries

‒ Palestinian Authority – Collateral registry and Secured transactions law - Mr. Haytam AL WAHIDI*, Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency*

‒ Morocco – Auto-entrepreneur – Mr. Larbi BENRAZZOUK, Directeur Général de Maroc PME

‒ Lebanon – Women entrepreneurship training – Mrs. Manal YASSINE*, Economic Researcher, Ministry of Industry

‒ Tunisie – Entrepreneurial learning promotion - M. Wajdi NEFFATI, Agence pour la promotion de l’industrie et de l’innovation, and Mme. Aicha ZEMNI, National coordinator of entrepreneurial learning project at the Ministry of Vocational training and employment

This session will continue to showcase reforms undertaken in the region since 2014 but with an emphasis on the business climate –including the introduction of collateral registries and self-enterpreneur figures–, and human capital development.

Open discussion

MENA-OECD Working Group on SME and Entrepreneurship Policy Day 2: 11 July 2018

9.00–10.30 Session 5: Legal and policy reforms to empower women entrepreneurs

Chair

Speakers

‒ Mrs. Charlotte GOEMANS, Policy Analyst, Middle East and Africa, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD

‒ Mr. Majdi HASSEN, Executive Director, Institut Arabe de Chefs d’Enterprise (IACE)

‒ Mrs. Lois STEVENSON, International Expert

‒ Mrs. Samira HADJDJILANI, Présidente du Réseau Algérien Des Professionnelles Du Cinéma et de La Tv RAPCIT, Vice-Présidente Du Réseau Des Femmes Leaders Du Maghreb RFLM et Directrices Générale de ER PROD

‒ Mrs. Soukeina BOURAOUI, Executive Director, Centre des femmes arabes pour la formation et la recherche (CAWTAR)

‒ ILO / Ministry of Women’s Affairs from Tunisia

Recent OECD research documents how legal frameworks in a number of MENA countries are still holding back women’s economic empowerment, including women’s entrepreneurship. Gender-specific obstacles to business development ranging from access to finance to business registration and freedom of movement continue to exist. New World Bank research shows that countries with more gender disparities in legal frameworks have relatively low numbers of new female entrepreneurs. Gender legal

MENA-OECD Comptitiveness Programme

disparities in the MENA region are higher than the estimated world average. A range of challenges also remain present on the policy side. No recent regional analysis has been conducted on SME policies favourable to women. The latest OECD research on this topic dates back to 2012 and finds that no MENA government has established a comprehensive policy to tackle the core barriers to developing female entrepreneurship. This panel session will focus on the challenges that existing laws, regulations and policies continue to pose to women entrepreneurs and how changes in these frameworks have facilitated female entrepreneurship in different countries of the region.

Open discussion

10.30 – 10.45 Coffee break

10.45–12.15 Session 6: Clusters: different models to create growth environments

Chair

Speakers

‒ Mr. Sadok BEJJA, General Director of SME promotion, Ministry Industry and Commerce, Tunisia

‒ Mr. Maher AL-MAHROUQ, Director General, Jordan Chamber of Industry

‒ Mr. Tullio TOLLIO*, Chef du “Fabbrica Intelligente”

‒ Mr. Marco MARCHESE, Economist, Center for Entrepreneurship, OECD

‒ Tunisia

‒ France / Germany

SME clusters have become a growing mechanism used to face competition pressures in the global economy. Over the past years, different approaches have emerged. The Italian model has led to the association of small businesses that get together within the same sector. In other countries such as France, competitiveness clusters (or poles of competitiveness) have focused on linking the industry with research institutions and investors. This session will explore several experiences and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

Open discussion

12.15–12.30 Closing remarks

‒ Mrs. Maria Ludovica AGRO, General Director, Agency for Territorial Cohesion, Italy

‒ Mr. Sadok BEJJA, General Director of SME promotion, Ministry Industry and Commerce, Tunisia

‒ M. Carlos CONDE, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD

12.30 End of the meeting and light lunch break