More and more banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Cambodia have announced that they will write off the debts of soldiers killed or disabled in the recent border clashes with Thailand, and have also agreed to reduce debts or suspend interest payments for those who were wounded.
As of 2pm today, July 30, the list of financial institutions which had agreed to honour the sacrifice of the Kingdom’s military included Canadia Bank, ACLEDA Bank, Chip Mong Bank, Wing Bank, KB Prasac Bank, ARDB Bank, FTB, Vattanac Bank, Cambodia Post Bank, HH Bank and Amret Microfinance.
This surge in announcements from financial institutions followed a joint appeal issued by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), the Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA). They called on all banks and MFIs with military customers who were killed or wounded since the fighting erupted on July 24 to take measures to support the soldiers.
Following the NBC’s “Measures to Alleviate the Financial Burden for People Affected by the Cambodia–Thailand Border Conflict” directive, released this morning, the ABC and CMA issued a joint press statement, declaring their full support for an earlier appeal by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and the guidance from the NBC.
“Both associations and their member institutions are committed to implementing, to the best of their ability, relief measures in response to the appeal Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and in the spirit of solidarity, humanity and assistance to armed forces personnel, the families of fallen soldiers, the wounded and disabled, and civilians displaced by the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict,” it said.
