Cambodia Industry Minister Urges ADB to Boost Private Sector Support

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Nov. 24, 2025) — Cambodia’s Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation Hem Vanndy welcomed Yasmin Siddiqi, the newly appointed Asian Development Bank country director for Cambodia, and urged the bank to prioritize support for private sector development.

Vanndy congratulated Siddiqi on her new role and said his ministry stood ready to work closely with her. He praised ADB’s long-standing partnership with Cambodia, noting its support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Briefing the delegation, Vanndy highlighted Cambodia’s progress toward graduating from least-developed country status. He stressed the need to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises, industries and government institutions to compete globally amid rapid technological change. He also pointed to water-sector reforms and industrial transformation as areas where ADB’s continued engagement is vital.

Siddiqi thanked the ministry and the government, saying she had observed strong momentum during her first week of meetings. She reaffirmed ADB’s commitment to policy-based lending and said the bank’s board is set to approve a new water-sector program this week under the Country Partnership Program.

Vanndy underscored the importance of coordination and called for greater mobilization of financing, technical assistance and frontier funding to accelerate private sector growth.