Economic policy and administration

Experts warn that Cambodia’s imminent move up to lower-middle income status could lead to a drop in foreign aid and economic assistance. While the status upgrade would affirm Cambodia’s economic openness, higher wages and increasing foreign investment, it could also lead developed countries to scale ...

The government yesterday slightly lowered its growth forecast for this year – from 7 to 6.9 percent – citing slowing growth in China and Europe as well as the appreciation of the US dollar as the reasons for the cut. ...

While Cambodian households saw their debt increase just 2 per cent last year, rural household borrowings to service existing loans nearly doubled, new government research shows.Both total and disposable incomes across the 3.3 million Cambodian households rose 16 per cent year-on-year in 2014, with total ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday called for more collaboration and integration of financial markets at the regional level, especially with China – the world’s second-largest economy – to offset the effects of a slowing global economy. ...

Cambodia’s anti-money laundering agency is unable to investigate or penalise financial institutions that break the law, leaving the country open to exploitation by organised crime, according to a senior official in the unit.The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – the top international anti-money laundering and ...

Cambodia’s economy will feel turbulence from beyond its borders as China’s heavyweight economy faces softer growth prospects and major industrial economies experience a lethargic recovery, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released yesterday.In an update to its flagship annual economic publication, Asian ...

Cambodia’s economy is expected to remain strong through 2016, though it is likely to grow at a slightly slower pace than forecast earlier this year, the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday.In an update to its annual economic publication, Asian Development Outlook 2015, the ADB said ...

The country’s two largest ports saw traffic jump in the first eight months of this year, compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the port authorities Friday. ...

Cambodia’s new industrial development policy calls for more factories and special economic zones, but accomplishing this will be difficult. ...

Official figures released last week showing a surge in foreign direct investment during the first half of this year may not be the most reliable indicators of actual investment, as they reflect proposed investments rather than actual foreign direct investment (FDI), experts and executives say. ...

The Kingdom’s logistics sector is becoming increasingly crowded, with small- to medium-sized players racing for a share of the growing market while struggling at the same time to reach international quality standards. ...

Economists and industry experts disagreed Tuesday on the effects that recent currency devaluations in China and Vietnam would have on the Cambodian economy. ...

Japan and the five Southeast Asian countries bordering the Mekong River adopted a blueprint Monday to boost industrialization in the subregion.​ It aims to boost the combined gross domestic product of the grouping to $4.7 trillion by 2020. ASEAN’s combined GDP is currently estimated at ...

The strong dollar might cause pain to Cambodia’s economy by reducing margins and purchasing power for both importers and exporters. ...

Cambodia’s commercial banks lent $11.9 billion to customers in the first half of this year, a 33 percent increase from the amount lent during the same time last year, according to a National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) report released Tuesday. ...

New shipping agreements will soon be signed between companies in Cambodia and China that will see the Kingdom’s largest port continue its transformation into a regional hub, port officials say. ...

The International Monetary Fund expects Cambodia’s economic growth rate to remain stable at around 7 percent this year, while inflation is expected to rise. ...

Cambodia was ranked higher than other CLMV countries (Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam) for the readiness of private and state-owned organisations to deal with external economic changes, according to the Change 2015 Readiness Index released by KPMG. The international auditing firm’s report shows that Cambodia was the ...

Two SEATV reporters were allegedly detained for several hours on Saturday by border police officials in Banteay Meanchey after capturing photos and footage of the flow of illegal workers and smuggled goods at the Cambodia-Thailand border checkpoint in Poipet town’s Kbal Koh village. ...

The National Bank of Cambodia and the Japan Financial Service Agency agreed yesterday to extend their cooperation on sharing experience and expertise in the areas of banking and financial sector supervision in the Kingdom. ...

The Ministry of Economy and Finance last week did away with a special tax on imported products that were being used for re-export, after Japanese businesses said that it undermined their status as Qualified Investment Projects. Under the Qualified Investment Projects (QIP) scheme, firms can ...

Cambodia’s property sector continues to grow, offering both opportunities and challenges for both foreign and local investors. Meanwhile, ahead of the ASEAN Integration, a wider access to transparent information about the FDI fuelling the sector could lead to the adoption of stronger regulatory principles and ...

Thailand has invested $100 million in Cambodia’s construction sector, according to the latest figures issued by the Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. ...

The European Union is increasingly scrutinising abuse of its Everything But Arms treaty with Cambodia, underscoring both the importance of the zero-tariff agreement to the Kingdom’s economy and the potential for its misuse. In Cambodia’s rice sector, fears that cheap rice from neighbouring countries is ...