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Manufacturing businesses
in Hong Kong employing less than 100 people
and non-manufacturing businesses with
less than 50 are regarded as SMEs. There
are about 268 000 SMEs in Hong Kong, representing
about 98 per cent of all local enterprises
and employing more than 1.18 million people.
SMEs are the driving force of economic
growth and the Government is committed
to helping them develop.
Four SME funding schemes
— the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme,
the SME Export Marketing Fund, the SME
Training Fund and the SME Development
Fund — were established between
the end of 2001 and January 2002 to help
SMEs secure loans for business installations
and equipment, meet working capital needs,
expand overseas markets, upgrade human
resources, and enhance overall competitiveness.
In May 2005, the Finance
Committee of the Legislative Council agreed
to provide additional funding to extend
the operation of the loan guarantee, export
marketing fund and development fund schemes
and to cease accepting new training fund
applications from July 1, 2005. The Government's
total commitment to the schemes has been
raised to $12 billion. By the end of the
year, a total of around $8 billion worth
of grants and guaranteed loans had been
approved and over 47 000 SMEs had benefited
from the schemes.
The Support and Consultation
Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS) in the Trade
and Industry Department provides services
for business start-ups and SME entrepreneurs
looking for free business information
and practical consultation services. SUCCESS
runs various activities, including seminars,
workshops and company visits; publishes
publications for SMEs; operates a reference
library and provides electronic database
facilities to enhance the business knowledge
and competitiveness of SMEs. SMEs may
visit SUCCESS to seek experts' advice
on their specific business problems through
the Business Advisory Services or join
the Mentorship Programme under which each
participant is assigned a mentor who gives
guidance about running a business on request
for a period of nine months. |