Banking and financial services

Woori Bank, South Korea’s second-largest bank in terms of assets, is vying to purchase a 50 per cent stake Cambodia’s largest microfinance institution, Prasac, the company’s CEO confirmed yesterday. ...

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) received a grant totaling $8 million from the South Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to modernize its national retail payment system as the Kingdom gets ready to trade in the Asean Economic Community. ...

Singapore-based Phillip Bank announced yesterday that Cambodian borrowers that can prove a consistent monthly income will be able to access lines of credit without putting down collateral. ...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has provided a $13 million loan to support a higher education campus for the Acleda Institute of Business that will help raise education standards, enhance students’ employability and encourage sustainable economic growth. ...

Malaysia’s award-winning Public Bank, which is celebrating its 50th Golden Jubilee this year, is one of the first foreign banks to open its door in Cambodia in 1992. ...

Prudence Foundation, established by Prudential Life Insurance, launched its nationwide financial literacy program Cha-Ching yesterday. ...

Acleda Bank signed an agreement in Bangkok yesterday with International Finance Corporation and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative for a $70 million long-term loan project to support Cambodia’s small- and medium-size enterprises (SME) owned by women. ...

ANZ Royal announced yesterday that it has bagged the prestigious 2016 Triple A Awards from The Asset magazine after being named as the best trade finance bank in Cambodia. ...

Maybank Cambodia launched its first mobile application, which features Augmented Reality and QR Code Reader, on Saturday. ...

The South Korea-based Nong Hyup Bank plans to open a branch in the Kingdom and will focus on investments and loans in the agriculture sector, according to a senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture. ...

Facilitated by Taiwan’s First Commercial Bank, seven foreign banks provided $35 million in a syndicated loan to Sathapana Bank Plc, a newly formed Cambodian commercial bank, to expand its existing microfinance operations and broaden its commercial lending portfolio. ...

Khmer Specialized Bank, a subsidiary of Khmer Holding Group, was officially inaugurated to offer financial services to Cambodians yesterday, with $21 million worth of investment capital and becoming the 13th specialized bank in Cambodia. ...

A government official lambasted the slow application rate for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate as microfinance lenders, urging them to register with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC). ...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) yesterday in a move that officials are predicting will usher in a new era of responsible corporate governing practices, transparency, financial risk management and public confidence in the ...

With a $148 million injection of capital through a Share Purchase Agreement, National Bank of Canada (NBC) now holds a 90 percent stake in ABA Bank, according to ABA and NBC executives, who ensured that the agreement will not alter ABA Bank’s strategy but enhance ...

Acleda, a leading commercial bank in Cambodia, and Forte Insurance (Cambodia) signed an agreement on Friday on general insurance and micro insurance and agreed to establish a basic framework to cooperate and promote a range of insurance products. ...

Five international financial institutions will join forces with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) to hold the 1st Mekong Financial Inclusion Forum in Phnom Penh in July to explore and discuss the differences, similarities and opportunities for achieving financial inclusion in this unique region. ...

Two weeks since the central bank launched its FAST system, which provides instant riel-denominated fund transfers between banking institutions, operations are running smoothly, with usage of the new electronic payment system expected to pick up as it integrates more customers.   ...

Loans and deposits in the Kingdom’s crowded microfinance sector rose about 10 percent during the first quarter of the year from the same period last year, according to a report from the Cambodia Microfinance Association, which put the rise down to an expanding economy. ...

ACLEDA Bank announced its first-quarter results for 2016 on Friday, reporting $30.19 million in profit for the quarter, up almost 21 per cent compared to the same period last year.   ...

Mobile payment provider True Money Cambodia signed a memorandum of understanding with local microfinance institution Niron Mikroheranhvatho Plc on Friday to facilitate bill payments for the microlender’s 60,000 customers. ...

“The Microfinance Sector in Cambodia: Opportunities and Risks” is an attempt to get a wider view and deeper insight from various researchers on fostering a robust, stable and sustainable microfinance sector, the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) said in a statement yesterday.   ...

Cambodia’s current account balance deficit was the equivalent of $542 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, the equivalent of 11.5 per cent of GDP, the National Bank of Cambodia said in a report released yesterday.   ...

Sathapana Microfinance Plc., the third largest MFI in Cambodia, has officially transformed itself into a commercial bank with total capital of $120 million, a move in line with Japanese-owned Maruhan Japan Bank acquiring a 95.1 percent stake in 2012.​ ...