News
Riel fund transfers to expand under FAST system
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. ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/riel-fund-transfers-expand-under-fast-system
Central Bank to put focus on MFIs
“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. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24373/central-bank-to-put-focus-on-mfis/
NBC reveals interbank fund payment service
The National Bank of Cambodia will launch a new payment system to increase inter bank activity in a move to shore up confidence in the Kingdom’s rapidly expanding banking sector, it said in a press release yesterday. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/nbc-reveals-interbank-fund-payment-service
National bank ups cash reserve requirements
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has doubled the minimum capital requirements for commercial banks and significantly raised the requirements for microfinance institutions in a move experts say will protect and consolidate the country’s banking sector. ...
Kang Sothear and Tej Parikh
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/national-bank-ups-cash-reserve-requirements-110398/
Central bank pushes use of national currency on anniversary
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) marked the 36th anniversary of its reintroduction of the national currency on Sunday, using the event to continue its calls to boost use of the riel in a highly dollarized economy. ...
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/central-bank-pushes-use-of-national-currency-on-anniversary-110161/
IDs are not ‘sufficient guarantee’ for loans
Cambodia’s central bank has asked all financial institutions, especially rural lenders, to refrain from accepting personal identity cards, residential records and family books as a guarantee while giving out loans to consumers. ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ids-are-not-sufficient-guarantee-loans
Cambodia’s new casino bill faces likely delay: report
A bill to regulate the management of Cambodia’s casino industry could be approved by the country’s National Assembly (pictured) in the first quarter of 2016, reported the Khmer Times newspaper, quoting an official from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. ...
GGRAsia News Staff
http://www.ggrasia.com/cambodias-new-casino-bill-faces-likely-delay-report/
Kingdom unfazed by Fed rate hike
A day after the US Federal Reserve increased interest rates, which can potentially impact incoming investments and make debt more costly, experts say the Kingdom’s strong underlying growth will help maintain investments flows and leave the country largely unaffected.The Fed’s 25 basis point rate hike ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/kingdom-unfazed-fed-rate-hike
Credit growth poses economic risk, IMF warns
Rapid credit growth – increasingly financed by bank flows from abroad – poses significant risk to Cambodia’s economy and requires prudential policies to cool lending and reduce exposure, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned in a report released yesterday. It said while Cambodia’s short-term economic ...
Cam McGrath
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/credit-growth-poses-economic-risk-imf-warns
Major surge in micro lending, association says
Lending by microfinance institutions (MFIs) rose about 50 percent at an annualized rate during the first nine months of the year, according to the Cambodia Microfinance Association, which said the surge was sparked by economic stability and an increase in demand from clients wanting to ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/17497/major-surge-in-micro-lending--association-says/
Central bank moves to spark Interbank lending
The National Bank of Cambodia has decreased the minimum value of negotiable certificates of deposit (NCDs) in a bid to promote interbank lending in the Kingdom’s crowded financial industry. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/17371/central-bank-moves-to-spark-interbank-lending/
Central bank takes breather as it reins in rural lenders
Cambodia’s central bank will temporarily suspend its eight-month campaign to bring informal moneylenders into its fold as it lacks the resources to review the mountain of registration applications it has received and needs time to tweak the licensing requirements, a National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) ...
Sor Chandara and Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/central-bank-takes-breather-it-reins-rural-lenders
Casinos rake in $2 billion
Cambodia’s casino industry generates close to $2 billion in revenue a year and accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the Kingdom’s tourism revenue, a central bank official said yesterday.Chea Serey, director-general of the National Bank of Cambodia, told a workshop on statistics in international ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/casinos-rake-2-billion
Cambodia earns $2 bn from its casino annually
Cambodia’s casino industry has generated a revenue of approximately $2 billion per annum, the country’s central bank chief said here on Wednesday. ...
Business Standard News Staff
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/cambodia-earns-2-bn-from-its-casinos-annually-115093000332_1.html
Cambodia aims to reduce Dollarization
Cambodia has designed strategies to give the Riel a boost to reduce dollarization, which represents about 80 percent of currencies circulated in the country, the Central Bank’s senior officials said Tuesday. ...
Xinhua team
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/16274/cambodia-aims-to-reduce-dollarization/
Central bank urges Riel spending
Cambodia’s central bank yesterday again raised the issue of the country’s highly dollarised economy, suggesting that government policies and action plans will be enforced over the long term to promote the use of the riel, giving the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) more monetary control.Speaking ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/central-bank-urges-riel-spending
Cambodia aims to reduce dollarization
Cambodia has designed strategies to give riel (local currency) a boost so as to reduce dollarization, which represents about 80 percent of the currencies circulated in the country, the Central Bank’s senior officials said Tuesday. ...
Xinhuanet News Staff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-09/29/c_134672213.htm
Gov’t eyes data gaps to ensure stable foundation for construction industry
A survey of foreign direct investment by the National Bank of Cambodia due to be completed at the end of this month will help fill data gaps in the construction industry and could lead to new regulations in the property market that will pave the ...
Cambodia still near bottom of laundering index
Cambodia is still among the 10 most at-risk countries in the world for money laundering and terrorist financing, despite being one of two countries that saw the greatest improvements, according to an annual global index released Tuesday. ...
Chris Mueller and Aun Chhengpor
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodia-still-near-bottom-of-laundering-index-92093/
Cambodia still near bottom of laundering index
Cambodia is still among the 10 most at-risk countries in the world for money laundering and terrorist financing, despite being one of two countries that saw the greatest improvements, according to an annual global index released Tuesday. ...
Chris Mueller and Aun Chhengpor
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodia-still-near-bottom-of-laundering-index-92093/
Loan growth risks up for debate
Bank deposits and loans during the first half of this year grew significantly as compared with the same period in 2014, with loans alone increasing over 30 per cent, drawing mixed reactions from industry insiders on the risks of this rapid credit growth. ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/loan-growth-risks-debate
Commercial bank lending, deposits rising
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. ...
Un Raksmey and Igor Kossov
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/14087/commercial-bank-lending--deposits-rising/
Credit bureau brings rural lenders into the fold
Five rural credit operators signed an agreement to join the Credit Bureau Cambodia on Thursday as the watchdog and the National Bank of Cambodia ramp up efforts to better monitor the country’s expansive, but largely informal, rural lending industry. ...
Kang Sothear and Tsz-kwan Ho
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/credit-bureau-brings-rural-lenders-into-the-fold-90227/
Warning for illegal MFIs
The governor of the National Bank of Cambodia hit out at unlicensed microfinance institutions or lenders, who he said were the reason why interest rates in the sector were high, despite interest rates falling among registered lenders. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/warning-illegal-mfis