Small and medium-sized enterprises, due to their relatively small funds, were most vulnerable to the SARS crisis and most likely to go bankrupt without timely help, experts said.

The danger of spreading the SARS virus in rural areas would increase if workers from rural areas had to return to their hometowns due to the loss of jobs, Tang Min, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank in China. said, adding that the problemwas also faced by other nations and regions in Asia.

Wu Yibing, managing partner of Beijing Mckinsey & Company, suggested commercial banks should offer relief loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, as owners of these enterprises mainly belonged to the newly emerged entrepreneur class and were relatively vulnerable to crises.

Small and medium-sized enterprises were major employers of low-income earners in many countries, so the impact of SARS on them and their employees was especially serious, said Ifzal Ali, chief economist of Asian Development Bank.

Tang called for organizations at all levels to share the losses of small and medium-sized enterprises with the government, suggesting the government reduce fees and taxes, local governmentsconsider the enduring ability of the enterprise when taking anti-SARS measures and banks provide policy loans to some seriously-hit but promising enterprises.

He also called for the enterprises to seek for new opportunities and explore new markets and actively cooperate with departments concerned.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2003)