Analysis of policies to support SMEs in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America

Abstract

The institutions that support micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Latin America have demonstrated their capacity to react to the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, making unprecedented efforts to adapt support instruments and adjust their management modalities to new needs.

This document summarizes the experiences of nine countries in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay), highlighting good practices and methodological lessons learned that can be leveraged to improve the performance of the development system once the pandemic is over.

There are three areas of particular importance for economic recovery: support for the incorporation of digital technologies, incentives for formalizing companies and biosafety protocols. There are also signs of a shift in the way policies are formulated, towards adaptive management models that focus on accountability and the strengthening of public institutions, the deepening of partnerships with the business sector and the consolidation of decentralization dynamics that provide space for participation by local and regional actors.