METI will Establish about 580 Consultation Counters Across Japan for Providing Information on Management Improvement and Financing

On March 6, 2013, METI established the headquarters, led by the METI Minister, aiming to promptly strengthen the framework to support improving the management of SMEs and microenterprises as well as providing full support for their financing from the end of FY2012 onward. In the first meeting of the headquarters, two approaches were decided for the purpose of supporting such enterprises' management improvement and financing: support measures for such enterprises' management improvement, and the smooth implementation of such measures.

Based on the support measures for such enterprises' management improvement, on March 8, 2013, METI will establish Management Improvement and Financing Consultation Counters at the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, Regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry, regional head offices of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan, branches of the National Federation of Credit Guarantee Corporations, the Japan Finance Corporation and the Shoko Chukin Bank, and the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Revitalization Support Councils in each prefecture (about 580 counters across Japan).

On and after March 8, 2013, the counters will introduce the measures for improving management and financing, and start conducting individual consultations.

Lists of the consultation counters

• Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, and Regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Regional head offices of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan
• National Federation of Credit Guarantee Corporations
• Japan Finance Corporation
• Shoko Chukin Bank
• Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Revitalization Support Councils

March 8, 2013

Finance Division, Business Environment Department, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency