How we serve the smallest must be our measure of success

When the sun rises, it rises for everyone. This traditional saying implies that true prosperity or success must be universal, reaching even those at the bottom of the pyramid.

A similar business maxim says the fastest way to achieve sustainable growth and innovation is to serve and empower the world’s poorest socio-economic groups. There is success when the marginalized become not just active market consumers, but also producers. They must be able to participate.

This Nov. 14 and 15, as business and government leaders gather in the Philippines for the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, we will discuss regional integration, digital transformation and the future of our economies. There will be important conversations and clearly, we will aim for actionable outcomes. On a broader scale, though, we must measure our success by whether an entrepreneur with a small business can benefit from these activities.

MSMEs must be an acid test for ASEAN’s most important integration initiatives: the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, or DEFA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, the ASEAN Power Grid, the ASEAN Single Window, even the decades-old ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, or ATIGA. DEFA is set to be signed this November and will establish region-wide rules for the digital economy. These agreements have the potential to reduce barriers and open new opportunities. But opportunities on paper mean little if smaller businesses cannot navigate the requirements to take part.

MSMEs are central to ASEAN’s economies, yet many face obstacles that larger companies are better equipped to manage. They may not have in-house expertise in customs, compliance, logistics or technology. For women and young entrepreneurs, these challenges can be compounded by limited access to finance, networks and markets. If we want more people to benefit from regional growth, we must make participation genuinely possible – not simply invite entrepreneurs into systems whose complexity and cost put them out of reach.

Making trade easier for MSMEs does not mean weakening standards or easing government requirements. It means making compliance more accessible. Verified information that can be reused, clearer processes and shared commercial services can help businesses meet the rules while reducing unnecessary friction. A small seller should not have to repeatedly prove the same basic facts or struggle to understand a different process at every step of a transaction.

Over the past year in which I have chaired the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, we never lost sight of putting inclusivity and sustainability in our programs. We had the very successful ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, the ASEAN Women’s Economic Summit, the ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit, the ASEAN Food Security and Agribusiness Summit and most recently the ASEAN MSME Trusted Trade Interoperability Forum, to examine how existing systems, regulatory processes and digital infrastructure could be streamlined and connected.

As always, we got into the practical work that is needed to turn regional commitments into results: setting clear responsibilities, marking visible milestones and building cooperation between public agencies and businesses that understand how trade works on the ground. It can be especially tricky when dealing with digital systems and cross-border trade, but I think this is where we can truly apply the benefits of ASEAN integration for all.

The benefits would extend well beyond MSMEs. The basic information that enables a small seller to trade – a trusted business identity, reliable product details, secure payment, dependable logistics and a way to resolve disputes – is relevant to larger commercial transactions, too. MSMEs are not a separate economy requiring a separate set of rules. They are the starting point for designing processes that can work across the region. If we make trade simple, efficient and secure enough for the smallest business, we lay a stronger foundation for businesses of every size.

The same test should guide our approach to digital technology and artificial intelligence. These tools can help entrepreneurs understand markets, improve operations and reach customers beyond their home country.

However, access to technology alone is not inclusion. Businesses need affordable and usable services, appropriate skills, trustworthy rules and a fair chance to benefit. Governments can set clear safeguards and protect the public interest. Businesses can contribute innovation, investment and practical experience. Together, we must ensure that digital progress expands opportunity rather than deepening the divide between those who can use new tools and those who cannot.

We should apply that ambition for inclusivity to women and youth entrepreneurs, and to the creative industries. Women-owned businesses and young founders bring ideas and energy to ASEAN’s economies, but they need more than encouragement: they need access to customers, networks and the tools to grow. Creative entrepreneurs can bring ASEAN’s culture, stories and talent to the world. Their work also depends on reliable digital channels, accessible payments, protection for their creations and routes to market. A regional digital economy should make room for these businesses to participate and thrive.

No government agency, company or organization can deliver this agenda alone. Governments set policy, protect the public interest and provide essential infrastructure. The private sector can help develop services that respond to real business needs. Effective partnership means agreeing on outcomes, clarifying responsibilities and being accountable for progress. It also means listening to entrepreneurs themselves – not just speaking about them.

As leaders meet in Manila this November, it must be made clear that integration should be more than just about the scale of our agreements or the sophistication of our technology. Can the least and smallest business trade with confidence? Will women and young entrepreneurs be able to reach new markets? Will it be possible for creatives to bring their work to the region and the world, and profit from their talent? If we make ASEAN’s systems work for its smallest businesses, we will make them work better for everyone.