The development of supply chain finance in Asia is thriving with local governments, international and regional banks; and investors all actively encouraging the development of local and cross-border SCF programmes. Supply chain finance is making waves as a viable way to facilitate more access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Asia Pacific region. According to a recent APEC report ‘Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the engines of growth and innovation in the APAC region. SMEs account for over 97 per cent of all business and employ over half of the workforce across APAC economies. They contribute significantly to economic growth, with their share of GDP ranging from 20 per cent to 50 per cent in most APAC economies. However, they only account for 35 per cent or less of direct exports’. However, access to financing by SME has always been a challenge. The BCR APAC Summit will discuss such challenges and ways to mitigate them”, said Lee Kheng Leong, FCI Regional Director, South and South East Asia.Lee Kheng Leong will join more than 30 senior supply chain finance executive speakers at BCR’s second Supply Chain Finance Summit* which will take place on 15-16 October in Singapore. Topics covered include:• The role of SMEs in Asia’s economic growth• Working with local banks and increasing the use of technology to close the finance gap for SMEs• Improving working capital with pre-shipment financing• Mitigating risk in financing SMEs through partnerships with credit insurersFind out how to overcome the barriers that are still present in financing SMEs and discover the innovative approaches banks can use to meet their diverse needs, attend the 2nd BCR high-level SCF APAC Summit. The Summit will examine the future of technology-enabled supply chain models, and what initiatives and innovations are being implemented to help close the trade and supply chain finance gap in the region. Engage in debate, network with your peers and help define the future of working capital in the APAC region.*BCR’s Supply Chain Finance Summit APAC 2019, 15-16 Oct, Singapore