(Phnom Penh): Samdech Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, on Thursday morning (Mar. 12) presided over a key parliamentary seminar at the National Assembly Palace.
Titled “Strengthening National Resilience and Advancing Opportunities in Cambodia’s Governance Strategy for Science, Technology, Innovation, Industry, and Trade,” the seminar was jointly organized by the National Assembly and the Senate of Cambodia, in cooperation with several ministries and institutions of the Royal Government.
Speaking at the event, the president highlighted six recommendations for participants to consider.
First, Cambodia must promote local production capacity and strengthen domestic supply chains. The economy must become more inclusive, more internally connected, and more resilient externally. Market diversification and stronger support for “Made in Cambodia” products are essential.
Second, Cambodia must continue building the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the national economy. SMEs should be supported in adopting technology, fostering innovation, advancing digital transformation, and accessing both domestic and international markets.
Third, Cambodia must further expand ICT infrastructure and digital ecosystems. Digital transformation is no longer optional; it is essential for improving productivity, enabling e-commerce, supporting local production networks, and integrating Cambodia into the global digital economy.
Fourth, greater efforts and resources must be directed toward supporting the informal economic sector, which remains a vital component of the national economy. Millions of citizens rely on informal activities for their livelihoods. While they are resilient, hardworking, and entrepreneurial, they often lack access to finance, technology, legal protection, and stable markets.
Fifth, Cambodia must strengthen inter-ministerial coordination, executive–legislative cooperation, and effective parliamentary oversight. Legal and regulatory frameworks should be modernized to support economic security. Samdech encouraged the development of a comprehensive national economic security policy framework, alongside a clear national resilience strategy and an effective implementation mechanism.
Finally, building national resilience requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. Government alone cannot accomplish this mission; it requires the collective participation of the private sector, academia, civil society, and citizens.
More than 300 participants attended the seminar in person and online, including members of the Senate and National Assembly, Commission 9 of both legislative bodies, representatives of the Royal Government, officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and the Secretariat-General of both legislative bodies.
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