PHNOM PENH, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) pledged on Wednesday to strengthen consumer protection amid growing concerns over household indebtedness, according to a joint statement.
"While access to formal finance has supported livelihoods, businesses, and economic development, we recognize that some borrowers face financial difficulties, particularly under challenging economic conditions," the statement noted.
The ABC and CMA will continue to collaborate with the NBC, member institutions, and relevant partners to enforce responsible lending standards, while simultaneously improving debt collection and customer treatment practices, according to the statement.
Additionally, they will support appropriate, case-by-case loan restructuring programs for borrowers who are facing repayment difficulties and enhance access to fair, effective complaint-resolution mechanisms.
According to NBC data, Cambodia's financial infrastructure currently consists of 55 commercial banks, three deposit-taking microfinance institutions (MFIs), 85 non-deposit-taking MFIs, seven specialized banks, and 88 rural credit institutions. Together, these institutions manage 39.6 million deposit accounts and 4.7 million credit accounts.
The NBC noted that by June 2026, outstanding loans at banking and financial institutions rose 4.6 percent year-on-year to 64.2 billion U.S. dollars, while customer deposits grew 4.4 percent to 64.4 billion dollars. ■
