From this perspective government intervention to subsidize SMMEs could help to alleviate poverty. Although some of these arguments in support of SMMEs have not been substantially proven, available empirical evidence especially from developed countries tends to support these basic tenets.
A recent survey of OECD countries1 showed that SMMEs account for a large share of the private sector  1  See OECD Small and Medium Enterprise Outlook (2002). BIS Review 62/2004  1  economy representing between 96 and 99 per cent of the total number of enterprises in these economies.