PM Hun Manet Orders CDC Restructuring to Speed Up Investment Services

PHNOM PENH, June 29, 2026 (KPT) – Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has ordered a restructuring of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), aiming to create a leaner and more efficient investment promotion agency. He said the reform will cut bureaucracy, accelerate decision-making and strengthen services for investors.

Speaking at the National Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) Day celebration in Phnom Penh on Saturday, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said the government is reviewing the structure of ministries and state institutions, including the CDC, to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

The Prime Minister rejected a proposal to expand the CDC into a ministry or enlarge its structure to as many as 70 offices, warning that such expansion would slow procedures and weaken effectiveness. Instead, he said the CDC will remain a specialized agency with a streamlined structure and enhanced authority to coordinate investment directly.

Samdech Thipadei  outlined three core functions for the restructured CDC: conducting thorough assessments before approving projects, monitoring and facilitating investments after approval, and resolving operational issues faced by investors once projects are underway. He stressed that the CDC’s role extends beyond licensing to ensuring investors receive effective aftercare and prompt solutions to business challenges.

He also noted Cambodia has broadened its government–private sector dialogue from Japanese investors to include businesses from Europe, China, the United States and other countries. These forums, he said, are intended not only to gather feedback but also to ensure concerns are addressed through concrete follow-up actions.

Maintaining the CDC as a flexible, specialized agency rather than a ministry will allow it to coordinate investment more efficiently, reduce administrative bottlenecks and strengthen Cambodia’s competitiveness, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said.

Economic researcher Ky Sereyvath of the Royal Academy of Cambodia welcomed the initiative, describing it as part of a broader effort to improve public sector efficiency. “His approach has always been ‘quiet but not inactive,’ meaning reforms are implemented consistently, although meaningful institutional reform naturally takes time,” he said.

Sereyvath added that improving civil service productivity should be a priority across ministries and state institutions. The CDC serves as the government’s one-stop service agency for investment promotion, development cooperation and special economic zones.