As of the end of last year, loans guaranteed by the Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC) totalled more than 9,000 guarantee accounts (GAC), with a guaranteed loan amount (GLN) of approximately $521.28 million.
The loans play an active role in ensuring the continuity and sustainability of business operations for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia, explained the corperation.
The government recognises the vital roles SMEs play in the Kingdom’s socio-economic development. This has prompted the government to introduce numerous policies to support SME financing through the SME Bank, the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) and the CGCC.
According to the CGCC, at the as of the end of 2025, CGCC had provided credit guarantees for 9,556 SME business loans, allowing numerous enterprises to maintain capital sustainability and expand their businesses after being affected by the downturn in global economic activity.
The CGCC plays a key role in credit guarantee mechanisms and risk-sharing with lending institutions, allowing SMEs to access financing for investments in climate-related initiatives and carbon-emission reduction, thereby supporting sustainable economic growth in Cambodia.
Hong Vanak, an economist at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, noted that the government regards SMEs as a major contributor to national economic development.
“SMEs contribute significantly to development and to ensuring the resilience of Cambodia’s economy. Without promoting SME production, we would face shortages of many domestically used products. As a result, we would need to import more goods from abroad, meaning foreign currency outflows, which would greatly weaken our economy,” he said.
He explained that policies that promote SMEs are critically important for both the public and private sectors. Vanak described how the government has already put in place numerous SME-support policies and has injected millions of dollars in additional capital through the SME Bank, as well as the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank.
“The Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia is an institution that has contributed approximately $521 million in loans to SMEs in Cambodia. These loans are actively helping SMEs in Cambodia to achieve greater progress,” he said.
“Most SMEs in Cambodia produce goods aimed at export promotion, particularly in agricultural processing. This is a critical turning point in value-added processing. We not only sell domestically, but also promote sales to international markets and foreign tourists. This is a key component in advancing the SME sector in Cambodia,” he added.
The SME Bank’s 2024 annual report shows that as of the end of 2024, the SME Bank had provided direct loans to 457 enterprises, with a total value of $122.4 million — an increase of 42% compared to 2023. These loans were mainly extended to priority sectors, including manufacturing, processing and agro-industry.
