Economy and commerce
Banking and financial services
MoU to support S. Korea investors
The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand and strengthen cooperation as well as provide support to South Korean investors, especially those in the banking sector who are now investing ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31603/mou-to-support-s--korea-investors/
ANZ to remain in local market?
The chief executive of ANZ Royal Bank has denied media reports that the Australian and New Zealand Bank Group (ANZ) is considering pulling the plug on its Cambodian operations amid a planned retreat from the region’s markets. ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/anz-remain-local-market
Maybank offers share trading platform
Maybank Cambodia recently purchased an online stock and share trading platform to allow its premier wealth customers access regional and global markets. Cythia Liaw, Maybank Cambodia CEO, said Friday that the trading platform – KE Trade – was developed by Singapore-based Maybank Kim Eng, the fully ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31414/maybank-offers-share-trading-platform/
NBC, CRF offer rice loan support
In an effort to help small and medium-sized rice millers and exporters that are presently unable to provide suitable collateral to qualify for the government’s emergency $27 million rice loan, the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has joined with the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) to ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31307/nbc--crf-offer-rice-loan-support/
Software for cleaner money
Tess International, a Malaysia-based provider of software solutions for the financial sector, signed a distributor agreement yesterday with Cambodian management consulting and business technology firm IdeaLink Consulting to provide software to Cambodian banks and microfinance institutions that helps them combat financial crimes. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/software-cleaner-money
Cambodia on alert for US taxpayers
With the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the tax-collection arm of the United States government, stepping up its global sweep to catch American individuals and corporations hiding their overseas earnings, the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia yesterday held a presentation for investors and financial institutions ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/cambodia-alert-us-taxpayers
Low uptake of gov’t rice fund
The government’s much-heralded $27 million emergency rice fund, announced last month amid complaints from rice farmers and millers that cheap competition and low-storage capacity was driving down prices, has so far had only limited takers among rice millers. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31195/low-uptake-of-gov---t-rice-fund/
Krungsri expects more growth from Cambodian MFI
Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya released its first financial statement since completing its acquisition of Cambodian microlender Hattha Kaksekar Ltd (HKL) last month, showing a quarterly net profit increase of 10.6 percent from a year earlier. ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/krungsri-expects-more-growth-cambodian-mfi
NBC survey shows riel perceptions
The central bank released its first-ever national study yesterday on perceptions and usage of the riel and foreign currencies in Cambodia, which aimed at not only understanding existing trends, but also at steering future financial legislation to boost the circulation of Cambodia’s national currency. ...
Kali Kotoski and Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/nbc-survey-shows-riel-perceptions
Repo auction offers quick liquidity fix
The National Bank of Cambodia rolled out a new mechanism yesterday that offers immediate liquidity to financial institutions to cover their payments and reserve obligations, while giving the central bank greater control over the country’s money supply and moving toward the establishment of a benchmark ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/repo-auction-offers-quick-liquidity-fix
Amret gets $245,000 grant from UNCDF
The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) provided Amret Microfinance Cambodia with a grant of $245,000 to help more women in the Kingdom access financial services and eventually contribute to local community development. ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30961/amret-gets--245-000-grant-from-uncdf/
National Bank to begin LPCO
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) will unveil its initial rates that banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) will be able to use, as the NBC begins its liquidity-providing collateralized operation (LPCO) to boost the country’s riel liquidity, according to a senior bank official. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30852/national-bank-to-begin-lpco/
Accounting and finance top job listings
Cambodia’s accounting and finance industries have seen the healthiest growth over the past three months, followed by jobs in sales, hospitality, management and marketing, according to the latest report by jobs website Everjob. More than 2,500 positions in the accounting and finance sectors were listed on ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30601/accounting-and-finance-top-job-listings/
Banking liquidity tool moves to weekly issuance
Cambodia’s central bank yesterday launched a weekly issuance of Negotiable Certificate of Deposits (NCD) with selling scheduled for every Wednesday – a move aimed at developing the interbank lending market by promoting a secondary market for the short-term interest-bearing certificates. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/banking-liquidity-tool-moves-weekly-issuance
CRF wants to track rice loans
The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) has submitted a proposal to the government for the setting up of a joint executive financial committee to ensure that the $27 million emergency loan to rice millers to purchase paddy rice from farmers, in a bid to prevent rice ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30381/crf-wants-to-track-rice-loans/
Life insurer targets low-income workers
An obscure NGO is providing life insurance coverage to low-income individuals, mostly garment workers, offering a financial safety net for the families of its policyholders, but triggering the concern of insurance regulators who take issue to its unlicensed operations. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/life-insurer-targets-low-income-workers
Bank trims rate to coax millers
The state-owned bank entrusted with extending $27 million in emergency loans to millers to purchase rice paddy has marginally lowered the interest rate on these conditional loans in an effort to shorten some of the strings attached. The Rural Development Bank (RDB) announced late on Sunday ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/bank-trims-rate-coax-millers
Thai life insurer to enter local market
Bangkok Life Assurance expects to offer life insurance policies in Cambodia by the beginning of next year, according to Thai news outlets, adding to the list of international insurers looking to tap into the Kingdom’s nascent but potentially lucrative market. ...
Matthieu de Gaudemar
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/thai-life-insurer-enter-local-market
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/
MFIs watch rice loans
The country’s financial institutions are closely monitoring loans that have been made to rice farmers, who say that this year’s fall in rice prices will affect their ability to make repayments, industry officials said yesterday. Last year, farmers were paid around 840 riel ($0.21) per kilogram ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30035/mfis-watch-rice-loans/
Rice millers can now get $20 mil
Rice millers in the country will now be able to access the government’s promised emergency loan of $20 million to purchase paddy rice from farmers in a bid to prevent rice prices from falling further, the Rural Development Bank (RDB) announced yesterday. Rural Development Bank CEO ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29939/rice-millers--can-now--get--20-mil/
Banking with a positive spin
A banking sector initiative launched yesterday aims to advise Cambodia’s financial sector on best practices for sustainable lending while capitalising on the growing pool of international funds that could flow into green and socially responsible projects. The Sustainable Finance Initiative will conduct two years of ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/banking-positive-spin
Thai bank’s $140M offer to buy Cambodian MFI on hold
Eight months since announcing the biggest acquisition deal in the history of Cambodia’s financial sector, Thailand-based Bank of Ayudhya, also known as Krungsri Bank, has yet to receive approval for the landmark deal. In a statement released in January, Bank of Ayudhya announced its intention ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/thai-banks-140m-offer-buy-cambodian-mfi-hold
Lenders come out of the dark
More than a year into a government-backed campaign to clamp down on unlicensed lenders, nearly 130 small lenders operating under the radar have come into the fold, officials said yesterday. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/lenders-come-out-dark