PETALING JAYA, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- SME Corp expects local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to benefit from the introduction of the Policy Guidebook for their development in Asia and the Pacific.

Its Chief Executive Officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim said the guidebook would complement Malaysia's SME Masterplan in fostering the development of SMEs in the country.

"With the guidebook in place, it would ease access to technology, market, upskilling capabilities policy and information among SMEs in the region," she told reporters after launching the guidebook at the Asia Pacific Business Forum 2012 here today.

She said this would be in line with the government's vision, of bringing SME contribution to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to 41 per cent by 2020 from 32.5 per cent currently, as underlined in the masterplan.

The masterplan also targets the SMEs to contribute 60 per cent to the country's employment and 25 per cent to exports.