Phnom Penh, October 21, 2026—The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) reaffirm our shared commitment to promoting responsible lending and financial literacy to help consumers make informed decisions, as well as strengthening consumer protection and complaint-resolution mechanisms across Cambodia’s banking and financial sector.

Recent public discussions on household indebtedness and borrower protection highlight the importance of continued efforts to strengthen responsible financial practices. While access to formal finance has supported livelihoods, businesses and economic development, we recognise that some borrowers face financial difficulties, particularly under challenging economic conditions. We take these concerns seriously and remain committed to fair treatment of borrowers and practical solutions for those facing financial difficulties.

Over the years, ABC and CMA, working closely with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), member institutions and development partners, have undertaken initiatives to strengthen industry standards, improve lending practices and enhance consumer protection. These efforts complement NBC’s regulatory and supervisory measures.

These joint industry initiatives include:

• Banking and Financial Institutions’ Code of Conduct – promoting accountable, ethical and transparent practices, including fair customer treatment.

• Lending Guidelines – guiding credit officers to assess repayment capacity, match loans to customers’ needs and reduce the risk of over-indebtedness.

• Standard Loan Contracts and Guidelines – improving the clarity of loan terms, transparency and borrower protection.

• Responsible Lending Certification Program – providing training in ethical lending and consumer protection for credit-related staff, including over 48,000 participants as reported by the industry.

• Governance and Consumer Protection Training – reaching 366 CEOs, board members and shareholders, as well as more than 1,123 branch managers nationwide in 2025–2026.

• Financial Consumer Protection Centre (FCPC) – operating independently of ABC and CMA, FCPC provides consumer guidance, financial education, and complaint mediation services. Since July 2025, it has managed the former joint ABC–CMA consumer complaint hotline.

• Sectoral Fund Pool framework – developed to support FCPC operations, financial literacy, debt counselling and consumer awareness initiatives.

• Code of Conduct and Consumer Protection Assessments – supporting independent assessment of industry practices involving 30 banking and financial institutions, alongside the Safe Finance Community Project in Ratanakiri province.

• Sectoral Incentive Framework and Ethics Guidelines for credit-related officers – strengthening professional standards and responsible lending, alongside a standardised definition of credit-officer functions.

ABC and CMA have also introduced specific borrower safeguards, including restrictions on accepting certain state, protected and collectively held lands as collateral for new loans, a prohibition on accepting personal identification documents as collateral, and enhanced repayment-capacity assessments for low-income households. These measures are intended to strengthen protection for vulnerable borrowers.

For both associations, expanding responsible access to finance must go hand in hand with clear information, fair treatment and accessible remedies when customers experience difficulty.

ABC and CMA have also actively participated in the high-level multi-stakeholder dialogue on microfinance in Cambodia, co-organised by NBC and the United Nations. The process identified 22 priority actions to strengthen responsible finance and consumer protection. At its fourth convening on 20 August 2026, stakeholders reported that 16 actions had been completed, with six remaining under implementation. ABC and CMA have taken leading roles in six of these actions.

These efforts are complemented by financial education programmes, industry training and cooperation with relevant stakeholders to improve financial literacy, responsible borrowing and awareness of consumer rights. We recognise that establishing policies and mechanisms is only part of the responsibility. What matters most is their consistent implementation and practical outcomes for customers. Further work remains necessary to address shortcomings and strengthen public confidence.

Looking ahead, ABC and CMA will continue working with NBC, member institutions and relevant partners to strengthen implementation of responsible lending standards, improve debt collection and customer treatment practices, support appropriate case-by-case loan restructuring for borrowers facing repayment difficulties, and enhance access to fair and effective complaint-resolution mechanisms. We will also support continued monitoring of industry practices and follow-up on outstanding priority actions.

For further details, please contact:

ABC Secretariat
Mr. Sok Chan, Head of Strategic Communications and Financial Inclusion
Email: abc_fi@abc.org.kh
Phone: +855 92 683 330

CMA Secretariat
Mr. Tongngy Kaing, Head of Communications
Email: hcd@cma-network.org
Phone: +855 95 262 111