The Ministry of Commerce on June 14 formally launched an “automated” system for e-business permit and licence applications in a bid to create a better business environment in Cambodia by speeding up operations as well as reducing bureaucracy and costs.
Presiding over the accompanying ceremony, Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak shared that local firm Intech Dev Co Ltd lent a hand in the development of the system, which he presented as part of his ministry’s “in-depth reforms” aimed at improving service delivery, along with similar platforms for business and trademark registrations, as well as certificates of origin.
He said the system would be rolled out in two phases, with the first to focus on integration with Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Cambodia Data Exchange (CamDX) platform.
CamDX is a decentralised but unified data-exchange layer between information systems that provides a standardised and secure way to produce and consume services, according to its website. The platform, reportedly modelled after Estonia’s X-Road, was rolled out on June 15, 2020.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the Kingdom’s apex trade body, welcomed the new system, which he described as an illustration of government embracing modern technologies to promote efficiency and improve the business environment.
“We ask that ministries and state institutions offer such options so that everyone – not just businesspeople – can avoid wasting time and money, and travelling to meet with officials in person,” he said.
