PHNOM PENH:The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) on August 28, 2024 convened a meeting to discuss solutions aimed at overcoming challenges faced by local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Chaired by H.E. HEM Vanndy, Minister of MISTI, the event was attended by some 260 participants, including officials from relevant ministries-institutions, Oknha Te Tang Por, Vice President of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of the Government-Private Sector Working Group on Manufacturing and Services (WG-C), business associations, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and UN agencies.

H.E. Minister re-iterated the government’s commitment to fostering a supportive environment for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which play a vital role in driving economic growth and job creation in Cambodia. “The private sector is the backbone of our economy, and it is imperative that we work collaboratively to identify and resolve the challenges that hinder its growth,” he stated.

During the meeting, Oknha Te Tang Por provided an update on the progress of government’s solutions to private sector challenges since the 19th Government-Private Sector Forum last year. He noted that many challenges had been addressed, but there remain issues that require solutions and interventions from the government. Currently, there are 22 challenges, indicating that significant work still lies ahead, particularly given the difficulties faced by SMEs.

The meeting discussed 22 challenges, including compliance requirements such as product registration and taxation, heightened competition, access to financing, markets, and skilled workforce, and rising production costs, particularly due to high transportation and energy prices.

H.E. Vanndy emphasised the need for local businesses to prepare for Cambodia’s graduation from its Least Developed Country (LDC) status, urging them to strengthen their operations and competitiveness. “As we move forward, competition is unlikely to diminish. MSMEs must discover their distinctiveness in terms of quality, taste, local content, traceability and environmental safeguards,” he said.

According to a news release, MISTI has continued to move its public services online, eliminating cash transactions in most cases, and has transformed the Science, Technology & Innovation National Laboratory (STINL) into a public administration institution in order to improve service quality and expand its testing capability to better support the private sector.

MISTI will continue to engage with private sector stakeholders to ensure that their voices are heard and considered in government interventions and policy-making, said the source, pointing out that the outcomes of this meeting will be included in the agenda of the upcoming Government-Private Sector Forum.