To start the discussions on the above sub-themes, let us look at a number of critical problems and issues affecting the advancement of small and medium enterprises in the wake of globalisation. These include, but are not limited to: small and medium enterprises policy and implementation; regulatory framework; entrepreneurial/managerial skills; finance; technology and information resources.
All countries, at about the turn of the year, started to revise down their expectations relatively quickly for the year ahead. The reductions in forecasts for growth were not drastic, but they applied to most countries, and hence to the world economy in aggregate. The reassessment was centred on the United States, with Japan and other parts of Asia prominent.