ADB approves $60 million loan for skills training
Asian Development Bank yesterday approved a $60 million loan to Cambodia to boost labor skills and competitiveness and help the government’s efforts to transit the economy into a skills-driven one. Cambodia is ranked 110th out of 140 economies in the 2018 Global Competitiveness Report, based on ...
May Kunmakara
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50617576/adb-approves-60-million-loan-for-skills-training/
Mekong summit sees $66B worth of projects agreed to
Six countries pledged to enact $66 billion worth of projects over the next five years at the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit in Hanoi on Saturday, with Cambodia-specific projects scheduled to receive the least amount of funding of any participant. ...
Robin Spiess
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mekong-summit-sees-66b-worth-projects-agreed
MFI loans, deposits grow in first nine months of this year
Outstanding loans and deposits in Cambodia’s crowded microfinance institution (MFI) sector have seen a sharp rise in the first three quarters of this year. ...
May Kunmakara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mfi-loans-deposits-grow-first-nine-months-year
Including the poor in a financial ecosystem
Financial markets in Cambodia have to serve more people, especially the poor, with more products at a lower cost and the key challenge lies in creating a broader interconnected financial ecosystem that reaches populations that cannot access banks, said industry experts. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27265/including-the-poor-in-a-financial-ecosystem/
Credit life insurance provides a safety net for borrowers
More Cambodians than ever are turning to microfinance for money to cover their small business endeavours or pay expenses, and, increasingly, they are looking to protect their families from the burden of these debts in the event of death or disability. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/credit-life-insurance-provides-safety-net-borrowers
MFI lending continues on course
Cambodia’s microfinance sector continued to expand rapidly during the first half of the year, despite concerns over rising default rates as the industry’s main borrowers – provincial farmers – struggle to repay their loans after successive seasons of drought and poor harvests. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mfi-lending-continues-course
MFI seeks licence to operate as a commercial bank
Sathapana Ltd, the third-largest microfinance institution (MFI) in Cambodia, has submitted a formal application to the central bank to merge with a local Japanese-owned bank and operate the consolidated entity as a commercial bank, a company executive said yesterday. ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mfi-seeks-licence-operate-commercial-bank
Prince MFI opens in an expanding market
Prince Microfinance Plc held its official opening yesterday, becoming the 49th registered microlender to operate in Cambodia’s rapidly expanding microfinance market.Hon Sorachana, CEO of Prince Microfinance Plc, said the new financial institution will focus on providing a range of credit options to Cambodians and foreigners, ...
Kun Kourchettana
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/prince-mfi-opens-expanding-market
Mammoth year in kingdom’s microfinance sector
Cambodia’s microfinance sector experienced another year of explosive growth, with both lending and deposits surging over 40 per cent in 2015, according to new data by an industry association. ...
Cam McGrath and Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mammoth-year-kingdoms-microfinance-sector
A clearer picture for lenders
The double-digit growth of consumer lending in Cambodia has created a need for a comprehensive and centralised database of individual credit histories. The Post’s Cam McGrath sat down with Pascal Ly, CEO of the Credit Bureau Cambodia (CBC), to discuss the role of the Kingdom’s ...
Cam McGrath
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/clearer-picture-lenders
More Cambodians struggling to repay MFI loans
Banking industry insiders expressed concern yesterday over a spike in the amount of delinquent debts reported by microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the Kingdom, which they attributed to farmers struggling to repay their loans after adverse weather conditions affected their crops. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/more-cambodians-struggling-repay-mfi-loans
Mobile services often first step to banking
The rapid growth in the number of Cambodians using mobile money services to transfer remittances is a positive step towards greater financial inclusion, and is serving as a gateway to financial services for the largely unbanked rural population, experts said yesterday. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mobile-services-often-first-step-banking
Rice loans to be disbursed soon
Cambodia’s beleaguered rice millers can now breathe a sigh of relief after a tumultuous three months in what seemed to be government ineptitude in disbursing an emergency loan of $30 million to prevent them from becoming insolvent. In June, the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) announced that ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29421/rice-loans-to-be-disbursed-soon/
EDC tells banks to stop outsourcing collections
State-run energy utility Electricité du Cambodge (EdC) has asked banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to stop using third-party services to collect payment of customer electricity fees, local media reported yesterday. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/edc-tells-banks-stop-outsourcing-collections
Credit hunger still voracious
In its 10th year, Cambodia’s growing microfinance sector has seen stellar credit and deposit growth. But concerns remain over this speed of credit growth in the sector, as well as the rise in unlicensed lenders operating in rural areas. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/credit-hunger-still-voracious
Sovannaphum opens its first office
Sovannaphum Life Assurance Plc, a joint venture between Canadia Investment Holding and Muang Thai Life Assurance, last week officially opened its office in the Kingdom to provide services to Cambodians. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/23518/sovannaphum-opens-its-first-office/
Risky new lending service offers quick cash for a price
Sok Rasmey (not his real name) works for an NGO in Phnom Penh with a salary of $350 a month. This is usually enough to cover his modest living costs, but when urgent expenses arise, he often looks to borrow to cover his costs. Ashamed ...
Kun Kourchettana
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/risky-new-lending-service-offers-quick-cash-price
Amret moves up the ratings ladder
Amret Microfinance Institution, one of the largest in Cambodia’s crowded market, yesterday announced it had received an A- rating from independent rating agency Microfinanza, which is based in Italy, for improving its operation and for its strong performance over the past year. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/23063//
Eco Park, Maybank in deal
The Singapore investor of Le Urban Eco Park, an ecologically-friendly satellite city, and Maybank have reached a deal to sell residential apartments and shop buildings in the park as the project nears completion by the end of the year. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25913/eco-park--maybank-in-deal/
Krungsri acquisition approved
Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya PLC., known more commonly as Krungsri announced last week that it was entering the Cambodian microfinance market with the acquisition of Hatta Kaksekar Limited (HKL). In a press release, Krungsri ‒ itself part of the Japanese-based Mitsubishi UFJ since 2013 ‒ described ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30191/krungsri-acquisition-approved/