From micro to massive, ASEAN’s entrepreneurs face regulatory hurdles

Resumen detallado

‘It's incredibly frustrating that even the simplest of ideas seem to have a lot of difficulty getting implemented,’ former CIMB chairman Nazir Razak says, criticizing ASEAN’s slow progress toward economic integration

BIG BUSINESS. Ayala Corporation chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala speaks during a panel at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on November 14, 2026.

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MANILA, Philippines – A food vendor at a weekend bazaar might have little in common with a conglomerate investing across Southeast Asia, yet both can find themselves grappling with regulations that make growing their business harder than it should be.

For Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, governments should give microentrepreneurs some wiggle room, particularly when they are just starting out.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on Saturday, November 14, Concepcion recalled how he began his own entrepreneurial journey.

“When I started as an entrepreneur, I didn’t apply for any permit,” he said, also pointing out that many successful food vendors at bazaars sometimes sell products without certificates of product registration.

Concepcion knows a thing or two about building a business. He heads RFM Corporation, which is behind the Selecta ice cream Filipinos love, while his family’s other business, Concepcion Industrial, makes the Condura refrigerators that keep it cold. Through Go Negosyo, he has also spent years helping fledgling entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.

“If I were the government, I’d just let it go for now and allow them to continue. And eventually, they will gradually follow the rules,” he said. “It cannot be too strict in the process though.”

Beyond permits, Concepcion said small entrepreneurs also struggle with financing and developing better products. This is where mentorship becomes important, particularly in helping businesses become viable enough to qualify for bank loans.

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