Cambodge : la Banque nationale trace la voie du développement financier 2025-2030

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has just taken a decisive new step toward the kingdom’s economic future. On December 17, under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, it officially launched the “Financial Sector Development Strategy 2025–2030,” an ambitious roadmap designed to strengthen stability, innovation, and financial inclusion amid a rapidly changing global environment.

Chaired by H.E. Dr. Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and H.E. Dr. Chea Serey, Governor of the NBC, the event brought together representatives from government ministries, partner institutions, as well as Mr. Vijay Kumar Akasam, Country Operations Head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Cambodia. This convergence symbolized the unity of economic stakeholders around a shared vision: building a robust, transparent, and sustainable financial system.

A quarter-century of gradual reforms

Since the first Financial Sector Vision and Development Plan for 2001–2010, Cambodia has steadily adapted its policies in line with a rapidly expanding economy. Each strategic update—now the fifth in 25 years—has strengthened banking regulation, risk management, and foreign investor confidence.

Dr. Aun Pornmoniroth praised the collective effort behind the 2025–2030 strategy, noting that :

“Cambodia has demonstrated its ability to rebound from the global COVID-19 crisis and is firmly committed to a path of sustainable growth despite an uncertain geopolitical environment.”

According to official projections, GDP growth is expected to reach 5.2% in 2025 and 5% in 2026, driven by economic diversification, tourism, and structural reforms.

A key driver of socio-economic progress

Aligned with the government’s “Pentagonal Strategy – Phase 1,” this new vision positions the financial sector as a catalyst for resilience, productivity, and inclusion. It also supports the national ambition of elevating Cambodia to upper-middle-income country status by 2030, in line with the trajectory outlined by the World Bank.

For Governor Chea Serey, the strategy represents a decisive stage in the transformation of a still-young system.

“The Cambodian financial system must become both dynamic and capable of supporting interconnected economic activities, deeper regional integration, and higher productivity,” she emphasized.

This direction is built around several core priorities:

• strengthening banking supervision and modernizing prudential regulations;

• accelerating the digitalization of financial services, notably through the Bakong platform, a pioneer in the use of blockchain technology for domestic payments;

• expanding financial inclusion for rural populations and young entrepreneurs through improved access to credit and financial education;

• promoting green finance as a key driver of sustainable development and the fight against climate change.

A forward-looking strategy

Supported by the Asian Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the NBC aims to further modernize payment infrastructures, stimulate local capital markets, and foster regional financial integration within ASEAN. These efforts align with a trajectory of macroeconomic stability recognized by international institutions, which view Cambodia as one of the Mekong region’s most resilient growth prospects.

With this new decade-long strategy, the National Bank of Cambodia seeks to shape a financial landscape that is more innovative, more inclusive, and better equipped to meet future challenges—an ambition that reflects the country’s gradual shift from a quantitative growth model toward an era of qualitative and sustainable development.