BEIJING -- Senior legislators Monday called for greater efforts to strengthen the work on promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and better implement national strategies to promote SMEs.

The call was made at the second plenary meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) inspection team on the enforcement of the Law on Promoting Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

They discussed an inspection report on the work and summarized the inspection.

Chen Zhu and Wang Dongming, both vice-chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee attended the meeting.

The lawmakers said SMEs are vital forces to drive the economy, promote social development, improve people's livelihood and encourage innovation, adding that the inspection has achieved progress.

The legislators also demanded revision on the inspection report and called for further efforts to strengthen and improve the work on promoting SMEs and implement well national strategies on promoting the development of SMEs.

First adopted in 2002, the SME promotion law was revised in September 2017. According to the law, relevant government agencies are required to protect the rights and interests of SMEs and private entrepreneurs, and provide guidance on their development.