SMEs getting extra govt help to thrive in tough times: PM

l[SINGAPORE] The government is putting in extra effort to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) keep pace with change amid rising costs and rapidly shifting business conditions, and some of these companies are thriving, says Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Speaking in a recent interview with Caixin, a leading Chinese financial magazine, he acknowledged the challenges such companies face: "For a big company, you have got some ballast, some stability, and you can move one step forward at a time; for a small company, you only have a small footprint - not so easy to jump. So we are making an extra effort to help the SMEs to adapt in this environment, and some of them are doing well."

It was a wide-ranging interview ranging from Singapore's domestic and economic policy to the progress made on Asean integration to his views on China.