6. Competition Law and Policy in the Philippines: A Role in Sustained and Inclusive Economic Growth

Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are essential to the Indian economy’s ability to grow sustainably. MSMEs frequently concentrate on resource-efficient techniques, which encourage sustainability by consuming less energy and waste. Moreover, through decentralising economic activity, they promote regional development. MSMEs are important sources of innovation, bringing new products and technology to market and aiding in the shift to a more resilient and sustainable economy. The inclusiveness of MSMEs encourages fair wealth distribution and strengthens local communities, which supports social development. This paper primarily focuses on understanding the role played by MSMEs in the sustainable growth of the Indian economy. Efforts were also taken to understand the present landscape of the Indian MSME sector, and the key challenges faced by this sector which requires immediate attention from different stakeholders. MSMEs’ resilience and dynamism position them as critical participants in guaranteeing sustainable and robust future growth for the country. To fully utilise MSMEs for India’s future success, three factors are necessary: government assistance, financial accessibility, and the incorporation of digital technologies.

Abstract: Research Aims: The study aims to investigate how MSMEs—micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises—substantially impact Indonesia's economy. Methodology/design and approach: The design, methodology, and approach of this research entail an investigation of the noteworthy impact that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have on Indonesia's economy. The strategy uses data to back up the assertion that MSMEs are the engine of Indonesia's economy, employing more than 97% of the labour force and adding more than 61% to the nation's GDP. The categorisation of companies based on their size and assets is investigated, demonstrating the numerical dominance of micro businesses to shed light on the structure of MSMEs in Indonesia; it emphasises how MSMEs perform comparatively poorly in exports, underscoring the necessity of improving their integration into international supply networks. Most of Indonesia's economic environment comprises Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), making this sector a powerful force. This article explores how MSMEs significantly influence Indonesia and provides data to support this claim. MSMEs are the backbone of Indonesia's economic activity, employing over 97% of the country's workforce and providing more than 61 per cent of the country's GDP. Their share of the economy may appear little initially, even though they comprise 99 per cent of all businesses. Still, their reputation as crucial economic agents is cemented by their indispensable role in delivering basic commodities and services to urban and rural communities. The framework of MSMEs in Indonesia is further clarified by examining how businesses are classified according to their assets and size. Larger organisations have more resources and clout, while micro businesses predominate numerically. However, MSMEs need help beyond their financial relevance. It is imperative to address integration hurdles to promote innovation and productivity and to increase MSMEs' contribution to Indonesia's economic growth; policymakers can ensure that MSMEs continue contributing to Indonesia's financial resilience and prosperity by realising their critical role and tackling current obstacles. It will allow MSMEs to reach their full potential.

Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) have revolutionary prospects to improve sustainability and efficiency in the digital age through the development of artificial intelligence (AI). However, due to obstacles including scarce resources, limited technical expertise, and unclear implementation pathways, MSMEs have yet to adopt AI despite its potential. To address this gap, this study develops a Framework for AI-Driven Sustainable Enterprises (F.A.S.E.) to guide MSMEs in integrating AI while aligning with social, economic, and environmental sustainability objectives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative insights from interviews with AI specialists and MSME stakeholders with a systematic literature review on AI and sustainability. The methodology was further validated through quantitative surveys of MSMEs across various industries, assessing outcomes, facilitators, and barriers of AI adoption. The proposed F.A.S.E. framework identifies organizational culture, skills development, financial accessibility, and technological preparedness as critical success factors. Preliminary evidence suggests that MSMEs implementing AI report 20–35% gains in operational efficiency and 15–25% reductions in resource waste, underscoring AI’s role in sustainable growth. This study advances theory by bridging literature on AI adoption and sustainability within the MSME context. Practically, it provides a comprehensive strategy for ethical AI adoption and policy recommendations for institutions and governments to support digital transformation. The study highlights the urgent need for structured AI frameworks tailored to MSMEs to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster resilient, future-ready enterprises.

Female-led Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), play a vital role as job creators, driving female participation in the economy, and boosting inclusive GDP growth. In addition to the direct economic impact of MSMEs, research shows that female-led enterprises employ more women, and that increased control over resources by women leads to improved health and education outcomes for children, among other socioeconomic benefits. Reducing poverty and boosting inclusive growth are therefore directly linked to the economic participation of women in general and women-led MSMEs. Gender equality, while essential and desirable on its own merits, also yields well-documented economic benefits channeled through female labor force participation and, relatedly, through women’s participation in entrepreneurship and leadership in MSMEs. Social norms, difficulties in balancing work and family time demands, and limited access to collateral, among an array of other multidimensional barriers, result in a low percentage of female-owned MSMEs among all MSMEs and constraints in realizing their full potential. Women-led enterprises are more likely to be smaller, informal, and home-based. The World Bank Gender Strategy identifies the multidimensional constraints that hold back women’s participation. Globally, female-owned MSMEs are 38 percent or less of all MSMEs, they are more likely to be smaller, informal, and home-based. They are concentrated in services like health, social work, hairdressing, and beauty treatment. Sectors dominated by women entrepreneurs show lower growth in value-added and turnover.

This study investigates the relationship between sustainable economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia from 1980 to 2023. The ARDL approach and VECM technique are employed to analyze the short-run and long-run dynamics. The short-run results show mixed effects. Sustainable economic growth has a positive impact on current and one-period lagged FDI but a negative impact on the two periods lagged. Trade openness and infrastructure negatively affect FDI in the short run. Interestingly, oil rents and real economic growth also have negative short-run impacts on FDI, but these effects become positive with a longer lag. Long-run analysis reveals a negative relationship between trade openness, infrastructure, and oil rents with FDI, suggesting a potential crowding-out effect. Trade openness has a positive long-run impact on most variables, including sustainable growth, FDI, real growth, and CO2 emissions. Oil rents also have a positive long-run impact on these variables. This study finds six bidirectional causal relationships in the short run, primarily between trade openness, infrastructure, oil rents, and FDI. Unidirectional causality runs from oil rents, trade openness, exchange rate, sustainable growth, and real growth to FDI and infrastructure. Additionally, CO2 emissions cause FDI, and trade openness causes sustainable growth. While sustainable economic growth benefits FDI in the long run, short-term policies regarding trade openness and infrastructure require reevaluation. Oil revenue and real economic growth may initially deter FDI, but this reverses in the long term. To attract sustainable FDI, policymakers should focus on long-term economic growth strategies and consider reforms in trade and infrastructure policies. A comprehensive FDI strategy that moves beyond oil dependence and leverages trade openness is crucial to long-term economic diversification.

Waste management (WM) has received increasing attention in recent years in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). However, a comprehensive understanding of the WM research in MSMEs from different economic sectors is somehow absent in spite of its proliferation. The current review was conducted to indicate types of waste, hazards associated with waste, as well as strategies, antecedents (facilitators and barriers), and outcomes of WM in MSMEs from diverse economic sectors. The search was performed by using the Web of Science (WoS) database, which retrieves 420 articles. After excluding the papers that were not closely related to the topic, 84 articles were retained for an in-depth analysis, spanning a period of five years (from 2018 to June 2022). This review demonstrates that the types of waste generated from MSMEs include metals, plastics, chemicals, papers, wood, fabrics, stones, food, ceramics, glass, candles, and cooking oil, among others. It is also resulted that the hazards associated with waste include environmental pollution, CO2 emissions, human diseases, health disasters, and marine life destruction. Examples of the WM strategies in MSMEs research are recycling, separating, sorting, reusing, and composting waste. The findings revealed that a lack of financial resources, knowledge, experience, education, and training are some barriers encountered by MSMEs in WM. Enhancing financial performance, economic growth, competitive advantage, and sustainable development are important outcomes of WM in MSMEs. There has been a paucity of research on MSMEs WM, necessitating a thorough investigation of several issues. This research discusses implications and recommendations and presents avenues for future research. The current paper is one of the first studies to conduct a systematic review of WM in MSMEs from different economic sectors.

This study investigates the relationship between tax policies, investment decisions, business growth, and economic growth in Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs). The purpose is to examine the influence of tax policies on investment decisions and business development and their implications for economic growth. Using a quantitative strategy based on a survey research design, data were collected from a sample of MSMEs. The findings indicate that favorable tax policies positively influence MSMEs' investment decisions and business growth. Policymakers should design tax policies that incentivize investment and business growth, while MSMEs should strategically leverage favorable tax policies to drive growth and competitiveness. The study's limitations include its regional focus and reliance on self-reported data. Future research should take longitudinal studies and contextual factors into account. Overall, the study provides policymakers and MSMEs with insights for promoting sustainable growth and development in the MSMEs sector, resulting in favorable economic outcomes.

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of economic border policing as a mechanism to enhance inclusive economic productivity in border regions and to identify institutional, bureaucratic, and technological enablers and constraints. This research utilizes a qualitative method that combines field observations and semi-structured interviews with border police and local authorities in West Kalimantan. The study finds that the implementation of economic border policing in West Kalimantan faces challenges related to organizational communication, inter-agency coordination, resource limitations, and lack of technological readiness. While models such as area-based, impact-based, and e-policing approaches offer strategic potential, implementation is often constrained by administrative inertia, low digital literacy, and overlapping institutional mandates. Inclusive economic indicators such as HDI, poverty rates, and Gini ratio have improved, but not evenly across all border sectors. To maximize the impact of economic border policing, institutional synergy across the National Police, BNPP, and local governments is essential. Technological integration through e-policing and localized economic empowerment must be supported by policy streamlining and capacity building. The role of border police is not only in securing territory but in acting as development agents that contribute to economic justice and inclusive growth in vulnerable regions

Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Thailand were assessed in this study to determine the short-term and long-term economic effects of post-COVID- 19 -, with the goal of developing policy guidelines that focus on the methods and strategies that will further develop and help recover these sectors. MSMEs are the most vulnerable and require assistants to combat the pandemic. This study assesses the perspectives of stakeholders on the development of mechanisms and the strategies applied to support vulnerable groups in Thailand, which mostly consist of women and children. The main data collection was gathered through online questionnaires that were distributed to various stakeholder groups. The tools used for analysis were advanced quantitative analysis tools that aid in achieving this research study’s objectives, and data was examined primarily through the usage of path modeling, structural equation modeling (SEM), and descriptive analysis was among the methods used. The findings reveal that in the short term, MSMEs’ ability to respond to COVID-19 implications has a significant impact on both financial and non-financial performance. Non-financial performance, on the other hand, is more affected by adaptability than financial performance. Demand shock from lockdowns and other COVID-19 cautionary interventions has a negative and significant impact on MSMEs’ adaptability, financial performance, and non-financial performance. The demand shocks increased the vulnerability of MSMEs significantly but it was found that proper management of demand shock has helped stabilized and improve MSMEs’ financial and non-financial performances, as well as helped decrease their vulnerability. When it comes to government policy, the focus is usually on enhancing the flexibility and financial performance of MSMEs. The government’s legislative actions have little impact on MSMEs’ non-financial performance and vulnerability. This could be because the majority of the programs are more focused on providing financial assistance to businesses or their consumers. COVID-19’s supply and demand shock only hindered MSMEs’ ability to respond to the changes and challenges caused by the pandemic, according to vendors. The vulnerability of MSMEs caused by COVID-19 creates grave effects on their financial performance. The findings of this research paper will assist policymakers in identifying the most vulnerable aspects of MSMEs, as well as their expectations- and determine the forms of support that will be required to combat the current and future pandemic situations that may occur in Thailand. In addition, it will aid policymakers in the establishment of procedures and supporting strategies for MSMEs to reduce the unemployment rate and stimulate the Thai economy, among other factors of improvement.

Research aims: Using influence and route analysis tests, this study will examine how digital marketing, intellectual capital, item innovation, and competitive advantage have been used to boost the achievement of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).Design/Methodology/Approach: The researchers in this study used a quantitative research strategy based on survey data. Due to its sheer size and employment density, the food and beverage industry in East Java is chosen as the study's population of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Probability sampling is the method used for the sampling. Various tests are employed in data analysis, including validity, reliability, hypothesis, and route analysis.Research findings: Based on the findings, digital marketing, intellectual capital, and item innovation are factors that impact MSME achievement and competitive advantage to a lesser extent. Furthermore, MSMEs' success is partially impacted by digital marketing, intellectual capital, and item innovation, all of which contribute to their competitive edge.Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study addresses a gap in the literature by investigating the factors that contribute to the improvement of achievement for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME), specifically looking at the effects of digital marketing, intellectual capital, and item innovation. Here, variables such as market domination, new item development, IQ, and internet advertising come into play. By exploring how this generation's digital marketing and intellectual capital function, the study adds to the field's knowledge.Practitioners/Policy Implications: Findings from this research stress the need for a multi-faceted strategy to boost MSME performance, rather than a singular emphasis on digital marketing, ICM, item innovation, and competitive advantage. With this in mind, it is anticipated that MSME players would devise plans that incorporate these four aspects in order to improve market competitiveness and welfare.Research Limitations/Implications: Although the results are significant, there are a number of caveats to this study. It is possible that the study's geographical scope and the industries it examined are too narrow. The success of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) in areas such as digital marketing, IP, item innovation, and competitive advantage could differ in different regions and sectors. Hence, due to variations in technical infrastructure, resources, and markets, it is possible that not all MSMEs or locations may be completely served by this study's findings.

SMEs, being crucial contributors to economic growth, often face significant supply chain risks that can impede their performance. The ability to manage these risks effectively in the post-pandemic era and to adapt swiftly to environmental changes (organizational agility) is vital for their success. This study explores the association between supply chain risk management (SCRM) and organizational agility (OA) in enhancing the performance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 254 Indonesian MSMEs across various industries through structured questionnaires. The analysis, conducted using structural equation modeling, reveals that both SCRM and OA have a significant positive impact on MSME's performance. The study findings suggest that Indonesian MSMEs that integrate robust risk management practices with agile organizational structures are better equipped to maintain operational efficiency and drive innovation. The study underscores the importance of SCRM and OA as strategic tools for MSMEs to enhance their competitiveness and resilience in a volatile market landscape. The results provide valuable insights for MSME managers and policymakers aiming to foster sustainable business practices and long-term growth.

Highlighting the importance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) for economic development and growth, and the appearance of their supply chain vulnerability due to the pandemic attack. Thus, the aim of this research is to propose a framework linking the supply chain management practices (SCMPs) of MSMEs to CRM objectives for the purpose of improving MSMEs’ operational performance. This article conducted a systematic review of all available publications from two prominent databases (WoS and Scopus) through PRISMA guidelines to explore the relationship between variables upon which the theoretical framework will be identified. Followed by semi-structured interviews with MSMEs’ eco-system stakeholders to validate the proposed framework using content analysis based on NVivo software. The findings revealed the relationship between SCMPs and CRM objectives through MSMEs’ operational performance, and a set of indicators has been determined for each variable, upon which a theoretical framework has been developed. Moreover, content analysis for interviews validates the key determinants for SCMPs, operational performance, customer satisfaction, and loyalty for MSMEs, upon which a proposed framework has been developed. This research provides a framework that can be used by academics and practitioners to assess the impact of SCMPs on CRM objectives through improving MSMEs’ operational performance and corrective action for MSMEs’ procedures.

Purpose – This paper analyzes how to increase micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) performance through Cutting Edge Innovation Capability. Design/methodology/approach – This study’s population consists of all 84,758 MSMEs in North Sumatera. A purposive sampling approach was used to select the respondents, with closed question for a sample of 218 leading MSME owner-managers in North Sumatera using the structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM). The main MSMEs in North Sumatra with the the following the categories of products: culinary, handicrafts, fashion, coffee shops, bakeries, garment, and services.Findings – The findings of this study show that Cutting Edge Innova¬tion Capability has positive and significant effect on performance of MSMEs from data processing and hypothesis testing results. Cutting Edge Inno¬vation Capability is innovation capabilities that combine product innovation, process innovation, market innovation, and organi¬zation innovation as: Sensing Capability, Seizing Capability, Trans¬forming Capability, Break¬through Concept Capability, and Superior Marketing Capability.Research limitations/implications – There needs to be a more balanced composition of leading MSMEs data, not too much many in food and beverage MEMEs. The research data for this category is 103 MSMEs (47%) while others MSME categories are also in need innovation capabilities such as souvenirs, agribusiness, and services. Practical implications – Based on research results, as input for MSME manager, MSME business actors in efforts increasing the innovation capabilities of MSMEs in line with the Government’s wishes the Republic of Indonesia through the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, target MSMEs can move up a class (scaling up), MEMEs can go international.Originality/value – Cutting Edge Innovation Capability is needed to improve the MSMEs performance. In line with previous research, Market Orientation and SME Performance needed to be mediated by marketing capabilities.

This paper analyzes how Indonesia can leverage digital infrastructure to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, aligning its development with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).By synthesizing existing literature and conducting a comparative analysis of China and Singapore, this study identifies the key channels through which digital infrastructure promotes economic growth and social welfare.These channels include raising productivity, expanding market access for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), lowering transaction costs, enhancing the delivery of public services, and generating employment opportunities.These outcomes directly contribute to multiple SDGs, including Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).The study also identifies several key constraints to Indonesia's digital transformation, such as high network deployment costs in an archipelagic nation, the lack of private investment in infrastructure, persistent affordability and skills gaps, and a significant urban-rural digital divide.Based on these findings, the paper proposes a comprehensive policy framework that integrates innovative financing mechanisms with regulatory reforms, human capital development, targeted inclusion initiatives, and deepened international cooperation.This work offers a practical roadmap for policymakers to build a resilient and inclusive digital economy in Indonesia, providing a foundation for future quantitative research on the effectiveness of specific policy interventions.

This article examines the condition of Indonesia’s Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with respect to carrying out a digital transformation, and whether the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to accelerate this transformation. This study found that Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises – MSMEs during COVID-19 have been in an unstable state due to the impact of the restrictions imposed by COVID-19related policies. Nevertheless, MSMEs have been supported by the government, academics, and digital media in efforts to revive and accelerate the digital transformation with a view to surviving. The use of social media has helped MSMEs’ programmes and services optimise their business performance. Job simplification was introduced to more efficiently create and reach a broader range of consumers by doing promotion, service delivery, accessing media and cooperating with third parties. The speed at which the digital transformation has occurred is reflected in an improvement in MSMEs’ entrepreneurial skills and competencies. Keywords: Digital transformation; MSME; Social Media; COVID-19 pandemic