Phnom Penh: The Coordinating Committee on Informal Economy Development (CCIED), in collaboration with the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration, co-organised an outreach campaign with 1,500 members of Phnom Penh’s informal economy. The campaign was chaired by H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and Chairman of the CCIED, along with H.E. Khuong Sreng, Governor of Phnom Penh.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, informal economy development is a government priority aimed at promoting participation in supply chains and creating added value in national economic activities. This initiative also aims to contribute to reducing poverty and social inequality. The onboarding platform allows the government to build an accurate, comprehensive database for targeted and timely interventions, especially during times of crisis.

The platform facilitates access for informal economy actors to various supports, such as skills development, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) benefits, formal financial services, arrear reliefs, tax exemptions, and social protection services. H.E. Khuong Sreng recalled the message of Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet during the inauguration of the Digital Platform for Onboarding the Informal Economy, emphasizing voluntary participation without imposing additional burdens.

H.E. Khuong Sreng urged informal economy actors across Phnom Penh to onboard the platform for the benefit of their future, careers, and family income. The platform provides multiple onboarding options, including the CAM-IE mobile app, web portal, and nationwide branches of onboarding partners such as Wing Bank, ACLEDA Bank, ABA Bank, SME Bank, and ARDB Bank. Onboarding targets microenterprises, workers and employees of microenterprises, seasonal workers, and self-employed individuals in the informal economy.

H.E. Hem Vanndy called on ministries-institutions and capital-provincial administrations to continue organising outreach campaigns to raise awareness of the benefits at the village, commune, and Sangkat levels, and to scale up onboarding efforts across the country. The National Strategy for Developing the Informal Economy 2023-2028 aims to transition the informal sector into the formal sector, making it a driving force for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development.