Financial Inclusion Archives - Page 5 of 7

Signing MoU on Strategic Partnership to Support Small and Medium Enterprises in Access to Guaranteed Loans Between CGCC, FASMEC, and Wing Bank

Posted on August 23, 2023October 18, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

On Aug 22, 2023, Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC), Federation of Association for Small and Medium Enterprises of Cambodia (FASMEC), and Wing Bank have entered into a strategic partnership to promote access to guaranteed loans for the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia. This cooperation will provide support to SMEs, mainly FASMEC’s members, for greater access to finance despite collateral challenges and to promote financial literacy, including credit guarantees to FASMEC members across the country.

Signing MoU on Strategic Partnership to Support Small and Medium Enterprises in Access to Guaranteed Loans Between CGCC, FASMEC, and Wing Bank

The MoU Signing Ceremony is held at Wing Bank Head Office, presided by Mr. Wong Keet Loong, Chief Executive Officer of CGCC, Okhna Te Taing Por, President of FASMEC, and Mr. Han Peng Kwang, CEO of Wing Bank.

Mr. Wong Keet Loong, CEO of CGCC said, “We are excited to be a partner with Wing Bank and FASMEC this year in order to support FASMEC’s SME members to increase their access to loans with Wing Bank supported by guarantees from CGCC. Also, we believe that this partnership will enable CGCC to reach out to more SMEs during our outreach programs when we carry out workshops on SME development throughout the provinces, which is part of our long-term goals at CGCC to improve the growth of SMEs”.

Okhna Te Taing Por, President of FASMEC, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Wing Bank and Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC) because it provides an opportunity for FASMEC member SMEs who lack collateral in finance to expand and grow their business.”

Mr. Han Peng Kwang, CEO of Wing Bank, said, “Through our innovative financial solutions and partnership with CGCC and FASMEC, we are committed to empowering SMEs with greater access to finance,” said Han Peng Kwang, CEO of Wing Bank. “By providing flexible banking services and credit support, we are enabling SMEs to seize growth opportunities, drive innovation, and contribute to the overall prosperity of Cambodia.”

This partnership between CGCC, FASMEC, and Wing Bank demonstrates a shared commitment to promoting economic growth and development in Cambodia. By working together, the three organizations will help SMEs overcome financing challenges and unlock their potential including improving financial literacy to drive economic growth in the country.

About CGCC

CGCC is the first-ever credit guarantee corporation in Cambodia, established by the decision of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister as a state-owned enterprise under the technical and financial guidance of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. CGCC’s main mission is to provide credit guarantees to lenders on loans made to businesses based on international standards to share the risk with lenders and to improve financial inclusion. For more info, please visit: www.cgcc.com.kh

About FASMEC

FASMEC is a federation formed by a group of associations and small and medium enterprises in Cambodia, established and registered by the Ministry of Interior in 2010. FASMEC’s vision is to connect Cambodian small and medium-sized enterprises to local and international markets. FASMEC’s mission is to bring together Cambodian small and medium-sized businesses and collaborate to ensure that the quality of Cambodian products is recognized internationally. Aims to improve the business environment by developing training courses, increasing productivity and innovation, and challenging the challenges of small and medium-sized businesses.

About Wing Bank

Wing Bank (Cambodia) Plc – the bank for every Cambodian – is driven by the vision to provide every Cambodian with convenient access to financial services relevant to, and for the improvement of, their daily lives since 2008. Today, Wing Bank serves the entire Cambodian population with 100% coverage of the districts in Cambodia thanks to the innovative Wing Money App, more than 11,000 Wing Cash Xpress agents, over 150,000 merchants, and partnerships with industry giants such as Mastercard, MoneyGram, AliPay, WeChat Pay, Western Union, Visa, and Ria. Wing Bank provides an array of advanced financial products both for individual and corporate customers. These include loans, deposits, micro-savings, credit referral services, money transfers, utility and insurance payments, supply chain payments, payroll services and even phone top-ups. Wing Bank is committed to providing financial, gender and digital inclusion to the unbanked and the under-banked, allowing every Cambodian to enjoy convenience and security when it comes to financial services.

CGCC Participated in the 35th Asian Credit Supplementation Institution Confederation (ACSIC) Conference in Mongolia

Posted on August 21, 2023October 19, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

On 7 to 11 August 2023, CGCC Delegation, led by H.E. Ros Seilava, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and Chairman of CGCC, attended the 35^th ACSIC Conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, hosted by Credit Guarantee Fund of Mongolia (CGFM), under the theme “Looking ahead: fostering green financing for sustainable development”.

CGCC Participated in the 35th Asian Credit Supplementation Institution Confederation (ACSIC) Conference in Mongolia

During the conference, H.E. Chairman of CGCC gave a warm greeting remark to all the participants on credit guarantee mechanism, as a supplement to the sustainable financial state in Cambodia.

Moreover, Mr. KL Wong, CEO of CGCC, was also invited as a speaker to the panel discussion on “Design, Implementation and Monitoring: The Role of Credit Guarantee Schemes in Addressing the Perceived Higher Risks Associated with Green Finance Investments”. In this panel discussion, Mr. KL Wong shared the progress of CGCC in developing a guarantee scheme to support green financing for sustainable development by collaborating with various government ministries and development agencies in supporting the country’s commitment to participate in reducing GHG emissions by about

Through this conference, delegates from members/observers also got the chance to share and exchange their respective views on respective topics around green financing for sustainable development through expert insight discussions, plenary discussions, fireside chats, panel discussions, and keynotes, in which to bring the solidarity effort toward building and developing the green financing, a key driver of positive change, as it’s not just relevant but vital in the face of current environmental challenges.

The 35^th ACSIC conference was participated by approximately 120 delegates representing members/observers of ACSIC from 13 countries in Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand.

ACSIC is the cooperation of largest Asia’s credit guarantee organization established in 1987, designed to improve the credit guarantee system, which currently is participated by 19 credit institutions of 13 Asian countries.

CGCC Provides Guarantee Management System “GMS” Sharing and Training Sessions to Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs)

Posted on August 17, 2023October 26, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

CGCC has developed the very first Guarantee System which is under the name of Guarantee Management System “GMS” that allows all Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) to submit all requests especially Guarantee Application processes and other transactions to CGCC through digitalization.

The GMS provides automation and streamlining to support all users by reducing the manual works for PFIs and CGCC giving the accessibility and coordination to provide Guarantee Loans fast with accuracy and security to PFIs.

CGCC has conducted training sessions about the system within 7 weeks which were starting from 05^th July 2023 until 10^th August 2023 at CGCC Office to 21 PFIs by having attendees in total of 80 management & staff from the PFIs.

CGCC Provides Guarantee Management System "GMS" Sharing and Training Sessions to Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) — CGCC Provides Guarantee Management System “GMS” Sharing and Training Sessions to Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs)

Click here to learn more about: Dissemination Seminar on “Guaranteed Loans to Support the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises” in Pailin Province

CGCC Participated in the 31st Asian Credit Supplementation Institution Confederation (ACSIC) Training Program

Posted on July 28, 2023October 19, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

Mr. No Lida, Deputy CEO of CGCC, led CGCC’s delegation to attend the 31^st ACSIC Training Program in Jakarta, Indonesia, hosted by the Indonesia Guarantee Corporation Association (ASIPPINDO), and presented about Cambodia’s Credit Guarantee Schemes under the theme “Building a Resilient Future: Enabling Sustainable Credit Supplementation.”

CGCC Participated in the 31st Asian Credit Supplementation Institution Confederation (ACSIC) Training Program

This training program was participated by approximately 60 delegates representing members/observers of ACSIC from 12 countries in Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Through this training program, each member and observer of ACSIC was given an opportunity to share their respective credit guarantee regarding their institutions’ background, law and regulation, schemes/products, procedure, and mechanisms, especially credit guarantee schemes to support Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Beyond credit guarantee, CGCC and other delegates also shared the commitment and effort in improving financial literacy for MSMEs through capacity-building programs.

ACSIC is the cooperation of the largest Asia’s credit guarantee organization established in 1987, designed for improving the credit guarantee system, which currently has 19 members and observers from 13 Asian countries.

CGCC 2nd Town Hall Meeting 2023 on “Milestones in Q2 2023 and Strategy Plan in Q3 2023”

Posted on July 17, 2023July 18, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

On 14 July 2023, CGCC organized the second Annual Town Hall meeting, a gathering of all CGCC staff to report on progress and milestones to the Executive Committee (Exco) of CGCC as well as sharing with the staff on the second quarter of 2023 progress, especially on the strategy and action plan of some respective departments of the third quarter in 2023.

CGCC 2nd Town Hall Meeting 2023 on “Milestones in Q2 2023 and Strategy Plan in Q3 2023”

The 2nd Town Hall Meeting was attended by all CGCC staff and a guest of honor and a presentation by Mr. Lon Sam Ol, Director of Banking & MFI Supervision of the National Bank of Cambodia. This 2nd town hall meeting is not only for sharing the progress report and plans from all departments, but also for a dialogue platform to openly discussion and obtain recommendations from management on the direction of CGCC’s operations and vision in improving financial inclusion and develop SMEs in Cambodia.

Signing of a $3 million Portfolio Guarantee Agreement for Women Entrepreneurs Between CGCC and Prince Bank

Posted on July 14, 2023July 18, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

On 13 July 2023 at Prince Tower, CGCC and Prince Bank signed a $3 million Portfolio Guarantee Agreement for women entrepreneurs. The Agreement is signed by Mr. Wong Keet Loong, Chief Executive Officer of CGCC, and Mr. Honn Sorachna, Managing Director and CEO of Prince Bank, with a participation of Lork Chum Teav Oknha Keo Mom, President of Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA).

The Portfolio Guarantee Scheme (PGS) for Women Entrepreneurs of CGCC and Prince Bank is effective from 01 August 2023 which will enables Prince Bank to disbursed guaranteed loans to women entrepreneurs without having to get CGCC’s guarantee approval on each loan prior to loan disbursement. This PGS for Women Entrepreneurs will support quicker, easier, and more CGCC’s guaranteed loan disbursements through Prince Bank to women entrepreneurs who lack of collateral.

Signing of a $3 million Portfolio Guarantee Agreement for Women Entrepreneurs Between CGCC and Prince Bank

Mr. Wong Keet Loong, CEO of CGCC said “This USD3mil portfolio guarantee scheme (PGS) with Prince Bank was structured specifically to support women entrepreneurs in providing guaranteed loans. We hope that with the bank’s strong network, we can increase our guarantees to women-owned businesses. As at todate, CGCC has guaranteed 40% of its total guarantees of USD130mil to women-owned MSMEs ie. USD50mil.”

He added that “The woman scheme comes with lower interest rates and guarantee fees for the 1st year. These favorable terms will enable women MSMEs to obtain lower cost of financing.”

Mr. Honn Sorachna, Managing Director and CEO of Prince Bank Plc. stated “We are honored and excited to join the force with CGCC to boost the local economy by supporting the MSMEs segments, especially women MSMEs. Women are the cornerstone of a strong family foundation and in their community. Their involvement and contribution to commerce and the economy at large are very significant and very much lauded. women entrepreneurs with unique abilities and determination are admirable and should be emulated. They deserve the support and encouragement to grow from strength to strength. Under the Portfolio Guarantee Scheme (PGS), we aim to provide better liquidity with special conditions to women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises to give them extra support for their working capital to invest and sustain their businesses. It’s always our top priority to support Cambodian individuals and businesses for their financial needs; we are trying harder to enhance our products and services and make them conveniently accessible to our Cambodians.”

Prince Bank has become CGCC’s Participating Financial Institutions (PFI) since 2021 and has actively utilized CGCC’s credit guarantees to address the MSMEs’ challenge of lacking collaterals by providing guaranteed loans. CGCC and Prince Bank hope that this PGS for Women Entrepreneurs will support Cambodian women entrepreneurs that are mainly MSMEs, the backbone of the economy.

About CGCC

CGCC is the first-ever credit guarantee corporation in Cambodia, established by the decision of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister as a state-owned enterprise under the technical and financial guidance of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. CGCC’s main mission is to provide credit guarantees to lenders on loans made to businesses based on international standards to share the risk with lenders and to improve financial inclusion.

About Prince Bank Plc.

Prince Bank Plc. started its business operations in 2015 as a private microfinance institution under the former name “Prince Finance Plc.” and was transformed into a commercial bank with license No. B 46 was granted by the National Bank of Cambodia on 18 July 2018. With a strong capital base, robust technological capabilities, solid expertise, and extensive knowledge of the local market, the bank aspires to become the industry leader by offering differentiated financial solutions through a mix of channels with great convenience to our customers. We are keen on contributing to the development of small and medium enterprises that constitute a key segment of our target customers. Currently, Prince Bank Plc. has 34 branches and 82 ATM locations nationwide.

Dissemination Seminar on “Guaranteed Loans to Support the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises” in Kompong Thom Province

Posted on June 15, 2023June 19, 2023 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

On June 07, 2023, the Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC) and Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) co-organized a seminar on “Guaranteed Loans to Support the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises” in Kampong Thom Province in collaboration with Kampong Thom – Preah Vihear Chamber of Commerce with more than 100 participants from Management and staff of participating financial institutions (PFIs) and small and medium business owners in Kampong Thom and other provinces. The seminar was also presided over by H.E. Tan Mony, Vice President of Kampong Thom – Preah Vihear Chamber of Commerce, Mr. No Lida, Deputy CEO of CGCC, Mr. Chuon Kimyan, Chief Executive Officer of Kampong Thom Techash Meanchey Union of Agriculture Corporative, and also the presentations by representatives from AMK Microfinance Institution and Canadia Bank as well.

Dissemination Seminar on “Guaranteed Loans to Support the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises” in Kompong Thom Province

Through this seminar, small and medium business owners are informed about the benefits of guaranteed loans through CGCC’s participating financial institutions in response to the lack of collateral when applying for a loan to expand and rehabilitate their businesses more.

Click here to read more about: Dissemination Seminar on “Guaranteed Loans to Support the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises” in Svay Rieng Province

CGCC, Maybank Cambodia, BNI-Super, and CWEA Sign MOU to Elevate SME Capacity and Capability Building

Posted on June 12, 2023February 7, 2024 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – June 10, 2023 – Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC) and Maybank Cambodia have entered into a strategic partnership with Business Network International (BNI-Super) , and Cambodia Women Enterprise Association (CWEA) with an intent to support the local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Kingdom through SME Building Capacity & Capability Programme (BCC).

Under the MOU, CGCC, Maybank Cambodia, BNI-Super, and CWEA will collaborate to provide trainings and workshops to the members of BNI and CWEA, and other SME communities to help them expand their businesses. The trainings will cover a range of topics relating to financial literacy and business operation.

CGCC, Maybank Cambodia, BNI-Super, and CWEA Sign MOU to Elevate SME Capacity and Capability Building

The MOU will also pave the way for the participating SMEs’ long-term social and business growth through networking sessions, technical and knowledge sharing and incentivised rates offered by Maybank Cambodia.

The MOU was inked at Maybank Tower, highly witnessed by H.E. Dr. Sok Siphana, Founding Partner of SokSiphana & associates and Chairman of Asian Vision Institute, inked by Mr. Wong Keet Loong, Chief Executive Officer of CGCC, Mr. Rath Sophoan, Chief Executive Officer & Country Head of Maybank Cambodia, H.E. Chea Ratha, Vice President of CWEA, and Mr. Kruy Rithy, President of BNI-Super.

Mr. Rath Sophoan, CEO of Maybank Cambodia said, “This MOU and BCC Programme signify Maybank’s continuous commitment to supporting the growth of SMEs in Cambodia. We believe that by providing training in capacity and capability building as part of the financial literacy programme, we are equipping SMEs with the right tools to sustain their business, thus contributing to the Kingdom’s overall economic development.”

“Following the success of the BCC Programme in 2022 with CGCC, this year, we want to continuously fulfil our promise to humanise financial services by taking it to the next level through renewing and expanding our collaboration with two more partners namely CWEA, and BNI,” he added.

Mr. Wong Keet Loong, Chief Executive Officer of CGCC said “We are excited to partner with Maybank again this year for the BCC Programme, and the expanded outreach with BNI and CWEAto launch this important programme. We believe that the BCC Programme will be a valuable resource for SMEs in Cambodia and will help our entrepreneurs to grow and succeed with the broader opportunities to access to financing and improve financial literacy, which is aligned with our goals at CGCC”

H.E. Chea Ratha, Vice President of CWEA endorsed “we are delighted to participate in this initiative, as it aligns with our mission of empowering women entrepreneurs through upskilling and networking. We encourage all CWEA members and women entrepreneurs alike to take advantage of this opportunity to grow and learn.”

Mr. Kruy Rithy, President of BNI-Super also expressed his/her optimism on the training. He/she said “We are confident that this partnership will be mutually beneficially, as it will allow our members to expand their networks, develop new skills, and grow their businesses.”

In this signing ceremony, there was also a panel discussion on “Cambodia Economic Outlook, Challenges and Opportunities of SMEs”, participated by 4 panelists: H.E. Dr. Sok Siphana, H.E. Chea Ratha, Mr. Rath Sophoan, and Mr. No Lida, Deputy CEO of CGCC.

In 2022, the BCC Programme trained nearly 100 SMEs and financial advisors on various topics including business registration in Cambodia, importance of financial discipline, branding and digital marketing, as well as the aspects of managing human resources. The trainings were presented by subject-matter experts and professionals from locally renowned law firms, business consulting, advertising agencies and financial institutions.

Meet the Pig Farm Business Owner Who Received a Credit Guarantee from CGCC to Support His Business

Posted on June 12, 2023September 13, 2024 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

Read and Download in PDF: Mr. Sok Nalen, owner of a pig farm using a large-scale biogas plant Kampong Chhnang province

In 2014, I started this pig farm business. Initially, this farm was a farm raising piglets, but in 2019 this it was transformed into a bigger farm supplying meat.

When starting this business, I faced two main challenges: technical and financial challenges. Technology changes rapidly from one year to another requiring businesses to have enough capital to keep up with it. Based on the technical standard, my farm must have a biogas plant to protect the surrounding environment by reducing emission of toxic fumes and odors. The biogas plant can also recycle waste and other residuals. Fortunately, Biogas Technology and Information Center (BTIC) provided technical support to me to restore and set up a biogas plant for my farm. However, I need more capital. With the cooperation with CGCC, BTIC introduced me to a way to access non-collateralized loans with credit guarantees. With CGCC’s guarantee, I could get a business loan from Canadia Bank as requested on time without collateral. The guaranteed loan served as my working capital, which allowed me to continue building a new biogas plant to support my pig farm.

Obtaining guaranteed loans depends on the potential of my business, namely the possibility of growth, a good credit history, and the required documents that prove the need for the loan for my business. Other business owners who require additional capital, but no collateral can also seek for credit guarantee from CGCC through CGCC’s PFIs.

Understanding Credit Guarantee-Interview with LOLC Microfinance Institution

Posted on June 9, 2023September 13, 2024 by Sorn Chhorvyvatey

Read and Download in PDF: Hear from Our PFIs – Interview with LOLC Microfinance Institution

1. What is LOLC’s perspective toward the credit guarantee schemes and why does LOLC to partner with CGCC?

LOLC Management is pleased to participate with CGCC to seize the partnership opportunity to further expand the market through new lending with CGCC guarantees. This credit guarantee scheme is very important for both LOLC and its clients, especially those who do not have collateral to provide access and encourage small and medium enterprises in Cambodia to access easy capital at low-interest rates to rehabilitate, start or expand their businesses.
LOLC joins CGCC as a participating financial institution, seeing that this credit guarantee scheme plays an important role in supporting the overall national economic growth, giving access to small and medium enterprises in Cambodia to access to financing to rehabilitate, start and expand their businesses, at the same time providing local employment opportunities for people to have jobs and income to support their families.

2. How do the credit guarantee schemes benefit LOLC and your customers?

In collaboration with CGCC, LOLC has the opportunity to further expand the potential market and have the confidence to expand lending to potential clients who have enough repayment capacity and want to expand their businesses but do not have sufficient collateral. In addition, the CGCC credit guarantee scheme plays an important role in fulfilling the needs of clients to expand their business and eliminate their worries from the words, “No matter how good his/her business is, without collateral, they are not able to borrow money from microfinance institutions or banks”. But now, even without collateral, clients can borrow money from microfinance institutions or banks to do business if they are able to make repayments and have a clear business plan.

3. What is LOLC’s strategy in structuring loans with CGCC’s guarantees? What are the main criteria of LOLC’s loan assessment?

In fact, LOLC has developed some clear strategies in structuring loans under the CGCC credit guarantee, such as:

Providing loans to clients who have clear and legal business, good cash flow, good credit history, whether the clients have collateral or no collateral, especially lending to clients who are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) aiming to expand their businesses, which contribute to society by providing employment to people with a decent income to support their daily family life.
Providing loans to clients who have a risky business but expect the business to improve soon.
Providing loans to key priority sectors that can contribute to the rehabilitation and upliftment of clients affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which LOLC expects clients’ businesses to improve soon.

To assist potential clients in obtaining a guaranteed loan, LOLC has some criteria for loan assessment as the following:

Clients shall have clear and legal businesses.
Clients shall have a good cash flow to be eligible to get the loan and be able to repay it back.
Clients shall have a good reputation and good repayment history.
Clients shall have a clear business plan and clear purpose of using the loan effectively.
Clients can have some working capital in their business.
The client’s business is in good condition with quality products and services, reasonable prices, market needs, staff, and leaders with experience and skills.
Clients who have or do not have collateral or have collateral but not sufficient can also get the loan.

4. LOLC is CGCC’s Top 4 PFIs in disbursing guaranteed loans in 2022. What is the LOLC’s strategy to keep up with this momentum and to further expand the disbursement of guaranteed loans in 2023?

LOLC will continue providing more credit to clients, for those who have collateral and no collateral, to meet their needs for all sectors to improve their living standards and to continue contributing to the royal government to promote economic growth in Cambodia. Through this, LOLC will further encourage the branch management to disseminate this credit guarantee scheme widely to all target customers, especially new customers who have not yet received a loan from LOLC, for clients who have collateral or do not have collateral or have collateral but not sufficient. The most important thing is that clients have a clear legal business, a good reputation, a good credit history, strong cash flow, and good business conditions.

5. Besides providing guaranteed loans, what LOLC and CGCC should do together to support the MSMEs in Cambodia?

In addition to providing credit services, CGCC and LOLC will continue working together to support non-financial services to increase the understanding or additional skills related to financial literacy to entrepreneurs, especially small and medium business owners in Cambodia, to give them more knowledge on governance, financial literacy such as cash management, expense management, which contributes to more efficient business management of clients.

Tag: Financial Inclusion