PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has invited the public, business owners, and local entrepreneurs to submit recommendations to help the Royal Government craft stronger policies for Cambodia’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, which currently drives 63% of the national GDP.
“I welcome the views and suggestions of our people in the spirit of thinking and working together for the common interests of our nation,” the Premier stated yesterday on his social media platform.
Describing SMEs as the vital engine powering the national economy, PM Hun Manet emphasized their critical role in expanding domestic production and reducing dependence on foreign imports.
While acknowledging the sector’s steady progress, he noted that key challenges remain. To resolve these operational bottlenecks, the Prime Minister tasked Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, H.E. Dr. Aun Pornmoniroth, with leading the development of urgent support measures.
The Prime Minister stressed that direct input from the business community will serve as “an important additional basis for the Royal Government to formulate more targeted and effective measures to address the needs of Cambodia’s SMEs.”
A primary objective of these upcoming measures is integrating informal ventures into the formal economy, backed by affordable financing options from the state-run SME Bank.
Beyond its massive GDP contribution, Cambodia’s estimated 750,000 SMEs employ around 3 million people, representing over 70% of the country’s total workforce. Reflecting growing confidence in local entrepreneurship, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) reports show rapid growth in local product registrations—rising from 1,336 products in 2023, to 2,158 in 2024, 3,625 in 2025, and reaching 2,353 registered products in just the first five months of 2026.