A Consultation Workshop on “Promoting Exports for SMEs”

14th October2022, Phnom Penh - The ARISE Plus Cambodia project promotes exports among Cambodian SMEs to access international markets worldwide. As an important part of developing export strategies for SMEs, the ARISE Plus Cambodia also promotes an effective Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on issues related to SMEs and exports. In Cambodia, there is an established PPD-mechanism, i.e.  the Government-Private Sector Forum (G-PSF), including 13 Private Sector Working Groups (PSWGs) at national level.  This goes back to the year 2008, when the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) was assigned by the Government of Cambodia to manage the G-PSF and the PSWGs.  As part of a joint project with ARISE+ Cambodia, the CCC organized another consultation workshop on “Promoting Exports for SMEs” on Friday, 14October at the Hotel Cambodiana in Phnom Penh. The primary objective of the workshop was to identify export related issues (cases) to be raised, documented and submitted to the PSWGs of the G-PSF.

The workshop invited keynote speakers, who are SMEs in various sectors from agri-food and manufacturing to international logistics and digital solutions (i.e., cross-border e-commerce), to raise issues on exports and share their practical experiences to other SMEs participating in the workshop. Key common issues that were raised by SMEs included high logistic costs, inadequate transportation, huge investments on export quality certification, complex export and customs procedures, sophisticated rules and regulations of international markets, among others.

Further, the workshop also invited resource experts for a panel discussion consisting of representatives of sector associations, such as Cambodia E-Business Association (CEA), Cambodia Logistics Association (CLA), Cambodia Digital Tech Association (CDTA) and Federation of Associations for Small and Medium Enterprises of Cambodia (FASMEC). The panel was primarily set up to discuss on export issues brought by SMEs and voice unaddressed issues to respective government entities as advocacy in their specific sector.

Importantly, the workshop was presided by high-level resource people in the G-PSF structure, including Oknha Lim Heng, Vice President of CCC and the Coordinator of 13 PSWGs of G-PSF and Oknha Te Taingpor, Vice President of CCC and Co-chairman of Working Group “C” “Manufacturing and Small and Medium Enterprises Sector”. In that regard, the raised issues were well heard and will be brought for further discussions for solutions with relevant PSWGs under the G-PSF mechanism as the next step after this workshop.

The workshop was conducted through a hybrid meeting mode – combining participants that were physically present and online participants via Zoom. Those who joined online were mostly SMEs based in different provinces and cities. There were totally 140 participants, including 60 physically and 80 virtually.  

For more information, please contact:

Mr.Youssey LAK, Trade Information and Advocacy –Advisor

E-mail:youssey.lak@gopa.de

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