E-business operators can either apply for the proper permits and licences to operate in Cambodia legally or face law enforcement, the Ministry of Commerce warned in a notice, as the government strives to create a conducive and dynamic digital business environment that is market-driven, law-based and internationalised.
The ministry told the Kingdom’s e-traders to apply for the documents at the Department of Business Registration under its General Department of Business Services, “in order to carry out pertinent laws, sub-decrees and prakas effectively”.
Businesses that are found conducting e-commerce operations in the Kingdom without the proper permits or licences could be shut down and hit with fines, as stipulated by relevant legal regulations in force, it said, stressing that this applies to sole proprietorships, branches of foreign companies, and other legal entities.
The ministry also directed enterprises to thoroughly read the terms and conditions of the applications and double-check the list of required documents.
An earlier prakas released by the ministry on October 9 revealed that e-commerce permits and licences are valid for two and three years, respectively, from the date of issuance.
The latest ministerial warning comes amid a government push to drive forward competitive growth, in trade and economic terms, in its pursuit of becoming an upper middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.
In a leap towards that lofty ambition, the Kingdom launched the E-Commerce Strategy on November 25, just over a year after the government passed the E-Commerce Law on November 2, 2019, as a response to the rapid development of e-commerce and online shopping.
The law aims to regulate electronic businesses based in the Kingdom and enable local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to integrate into value chains linked to domestic and international markets, the commerce ministry said in a prakas.
Super App Technology Plc founder Path Chamnan welcomed the ministry’s notice, stressing that electronic business owners should have the correct permits and licences to do business legally in the Kingdom.
“The way I see it, it is the right thing that every company should have the permits and licences. That will help prevent and contain the sale of counterfeit, expired or illegal goods on the market,” he told The Post.
He said Industry 4.0 has been instrumental in upholding steady national economic growth. “In the future, e-commerce enterprises will contribute to creating more jobs for locals,” he said.
