The SME Policy Index 2024 for Latin America and the Caribbean: Towards an inclusive, resilient and sustainable recovery is the outcome of work conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) through its Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional Programme (LACRP), CAF the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), and the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), the Fundación para el Análisis Estratégico y Desarrollo de la Pyme, (Foundation for the Strategic Analysis and Development of the SME or FAEDPYME), and national policy makers in each of the nine participating countries (LA9).
The assessment was conducted under the guidance of Andreas Schaal, OECD Director for the Global Relations and Co-operation (GRC), and Sherpa to the G7, the G20 and APEC; Juan Elorza, Director of Technical and Sectoral Analysis, Private Sector, CAF; Ambassador Clarems Endara Vera, Permanent Secretary, SELA, and Jose Antonio Ardavin, Head of the LAC Division, OECD.
The work was co-ordinated by Daniela Sena Rojas, OECD GRC/LAC Division in close collaboration with Lucia Cusmano, Head of Division and Jonathan Potter, Head of Unit, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), Meyly Valdez (CAF), Silvia Hernández and Javier Rodríguez (SELA).
In addition to thanking the various government ministries and agencies across the LA9 countries that contributed time and energy during the information-gathering and verification process, as well as comments during the drafting process, we would like especially to acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals and organisations throughout the assessment:
Argentina: Julia Watman, and Dario Lavillotti (Secretariat of Industry and Productive Development), and SME PI National Coordinators for Argentina; SME Sub-Secretariat (Secretariat of Industry and Productive Development); Sub-secretariat of Industry (Secretariat of Industry and Productive Development); Sub-Secretariat for Entrepreneurship (Secretariat of Industry and Productive Development); Centre of Studies for Production (CEP XXI); Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA), Head of Cabinet of Ministers; Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security; Ministry of Science and Technology; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship; Ministry of Education; Argentine Agency of Investments and International Trade (AAICI); National Securities Commission (CNV); General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ); National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI).
Brazil: Pedro Henrique Rincon Amaral, Head of Division of the Special Advisory for International Affairs of the Minister's Office from the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Micro and Small Businesses (MEMP) and SME PI National Coordinator for Brazil; Luciana Mancini, Special Advisor for International Affairs of the Minister's Office (MEMP); MEMP; Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC); Casa Civil; Ministry of Communications (MCOM); Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI); Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJ); Brazilian Customs (Receita Federal); Inmetro; Central Bank; Sebrae; Apex-Brasil; and National Confederation of Industry (CNI).
Chile: Gabriela Jorquera Sepúlveda, Head of the Small Business Division (DEMT), Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism and Carolina Gutiérrez Castillo, Coordinator of the Technical Group of SMEs and Entrepreneurship of the Pacific Alliance, DEMT Professional and SME PI National Coordinator for Chile.
Colombia: Jose David Quintero, Director of SMEs, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MINCIT); Technical Team of the SME Directorate of MINCIT and SME PI National Coordinator for Colombia.
Ecuador: Melissa Larrea, Undersecretary of SMEs and Handicrafts; Mauricio León, Director of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation; and, Sebastián Cabrera, Director of Business Strengthening, in charge (MPCEIP) and SME PI National Coordinator for Ecuador; Sub-secretariat of SMEs and Crafts (MPCEIP).
Mexico: Secretary of Economy (SE), SME PI National Coordinators for Mexico and other Institutions involved.
Paraguay: Gustavo Gimenez, Vice-Ministry of MSMEs and Juan Paredes Romero, National Director of Entrepreneurship and SME PI National Coordinator Paraguay, Vice-Ministry of Trade and Services, Vice-Ministry of REDIEX of Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC); National Institute of Cooperativism (INCOOP); Technical Secretariat for Economic and Social Development Planning (STP); Vice-Ministry of Economy of Ministry of Finance; National Certification Body (ONC) of National Institute of Technology, Standardization and Metrology (INTN); Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MITIC); National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP); Development Finance Agency (AFD); National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT); Vice-Ministry of Equality and Non-discrimination of Ministry of Women.Additional recognition to Isaac Godoy, former Vice-Minister of Mipymes."
Peru: Lizandro Gutíerrez, Co-ordinator of the Pacific Alliance (PA) Technical Working Group on SMEs, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR); and Jose Ignacio Zamora Reategui, Directorate for Cooperatives and Institutions and General Directorate of Business Development, PRODUCE.
Uruguay: Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM); National Development Agency (ANDE); National Administration of Public Education (ANEP) Agency of Electronic Government and Information and Knowledge Society (AGESIC); National Agency of Research and Innovation (ANII); Regulatory Agency of State Procurement (ARCE); Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU); Social Security Bank (BPS); Chamber of the Digital Economy of Uruguay (CEDU); Securities Market Promotion Commission (CPMV); National Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (Inefop); Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU); Ministry of Environment (MA); Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRREE); Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS); Uruguay XXI; and Foreign Trade Single Window (VUCE).
FAEDPYME: Domingo García Pérez de Lema, Francisco Javier Martínez García, Ángel Meroño Cerdán, Antonio Duréndez Gómez Guillamón, FAEDPYME, Nicolás Beltramino, Juan Marcelo Ingaramo, Guadalupe Jornet, Julio Cesar Muñoz, Natalia Beltramino, Argentina; Edgar Julián Gálvez, Guillermo Alejandro Quiñonez, Jorge Anibal Restrepo, Mónica García y Saulo Bravo, Colombia; Erica Días, Ernesto Giglio, Fabiane Tubino, Marco Ricardo Rosa, Peter Hansen, Brazil; Alejandro Álvarez Marín, Cristian Geldes, Diego Duarte, Mauricio Castillo, Omar Carrasco, Chile; Andrés Arguello, Roberto Hidalgo Flor, Wilson Araque, Ecuador; Lucio Uc, Luis Enrique Valdez, Mexico; Diego Sanabria, Edgar Antonio Sánchez Báez, Marcelo Ferrer, Silvio David González, Paraguay; Carmen Quiroz, Eduardo Rocca, José Clemente Almendróz, Peru; Adriana Rivas, Ana Correa, Carolina Rey, Cora Alonzo, Federico Hornes, Javier Peña, María Messina, Ricardo Castro, Uruguay.
The main authors of the different chapters are as follows: Antonio Fanelli (consultant) prepared the sections on the Institutional Framework (Dimension 1) and Operational Environment/Simplification of Procedures (Dimension 2). Dimension 3, Access to Finance and the cross-cutting gender approach were prepared by Miguel Arango, Diana Mejía, Adolfo Castejón, Oscar Vargas and Meyly Valdez; Senior Specialists and Executives of the Technical and Sectoral Analysis Directorate of the Vice-Presidency of the Private Sector and Bárbara Auricchio, Executive of the Gender, Inclusion and Diversity Management (CAF). The section on SME Development Services, and Public Procurement (Dimension 4), was prepared by Jorge Gálvez Méndez (OECD). The section on Innovation and Technology (Dimension 5) was prepared by Pablo Shah (OECD). Dimension 6; Productive transformation was prepared by Daniela Sena Rojas (OECD). The section on Access to Markets and Internationalisation was prepared by Javier Rodríguez (SELA). Dimension 8; Digitalisation was prepared by Madison Lucas (OECD). The overviews of the economic context, business environment and SME sector for each country profile, the introductory chapter on the economic context and role of SMEs in LAC were prepared by Javier Rodríguez (SELA) and Daniela Sena Rojas (OECD). The sections on COVID-19 and Green Economy were prepared by Antonio Duréndez Gómez, Guillamón Domingo García Pérez de Lema, Ángel Meroño Cerdán, and Francisco Manuel Somohano Rodríguez (FAEDPYME) and supervised by the OECD, CAF, and SELA co-ordination team.
The report was reviewed and benefitted from inputs provided by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) and the OECD Economic Directorate (ECO). Substantial input was received from Max Bulakovskiy, Carlotta Moiso, and Francesco Alfonso, (GRC), as well as Manuel Gerardo Flores Romero, OECD, Public Governance Directorate, (GOV). Extensive support throughout the process was provided by Jorge Carbonell (OECD) and Jose Miguel Rovira (SELA).
The final report was edited and prepared for publication by Robert Akam (GRC), Florence Guerinot and Laurent Ducreux (COM). The translation to Spanish and Portuguese was prepared by the Translation Department of SELA while the Portuguese translation of the questionnaires benefited from the support of the Austalia Latam Emerging Leaders Dialogue (ALELD). The implementation of the project was assisted by Julie Whitelock, Charlotte Dubald, Kentaro Kato (OECD), and Daniel Daza.
The work and this report were made possible thanks to financial support and in-kind support provided by CAF, SELA and FAEDPYME.