AKP Phnom Penh, July 16, 2025 --

The Coordinating Committee for the Development of Informal Economy (CCDIE), in collaboration with UNDP, ILO, and CAPRED, officially launched here on July 16 the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for the National Strategy on the Development of Informal Economy (NSDIE) 2023–2028.

According to the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI), the Framework establishes a national system to coordinate, track, and assess the implementation of the national strategy. It aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making to support the informal economy, which represents approximately 97 percent of Cambodia’s economic actors.

“This Monitoring and Evaluation Framework is a vital step in further strengthening the implementation of the National Strategy for Developing the Informal Economy. It will allow the Royal Government to track real progress, make timely decisions, and improve accountability among all implementing actors,” said H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of MISTI and Chair of the CCDIE.

The M&E Framework defines clear key performance indicators (KPIs), as well as roles and responsibilities for ministries-institutions across all levels of government, ensuring alignment with their respective capacities and resources.

The Framework is the result of a year-long inclusive consultation process, including a national workshop, along with technical consultations with 10 ministries and five regional consultations with capital-provincial administrations across Cambodia.

Ms. Kirsty Harris, Development Counsellor of the Australian Embassy, said, “Australia, through CAPRED, is pleased to support the development of a digital dashboard for this M&E Framework that strengthens transparency, coordination, and evidence-based policy implementation. This is part of our wider commitment to resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in Cambodia.”

Mr. Shakeel Ahmad, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Cambodia, added that, “While informal economy work often lacks protections and exposes workers to vulnerabilities, it also holds the potential to be a powerful engine for inclusive growth. UNDP remains committed to working with its partners and MISTI in implementing the NDSIE and its M&E Framework.”

The launch event brought together over 350 participants from relevant ministries-institutions, sub-national administrations, the private sector, business associations, development partners, and civil society.

The event included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with three additional commercial banks as onboarding partners to expand onboarding access and outreach. It also featured detailed presentation of the M&E Framework, a technical briefing on the joint action plans and a live demonstration of the M&E dashboard, showcasing its real-time data tracking and coordination capabilities.

Onboarding informal economy into the government’s digital platform can be done via multiple options: mobile app, web portal, and partner bank branches nationwide, now covering SME Bank, ARDB, Wing Bank, ABA Bank, Acleda Bank, Vattanac Bank, Canadia Bank, and Foreign Trade Bank.

As of July 15, 2025, the platform has received 119,183 applications—marking notable progress in Cambodia’s efforts to recognise and empower the informal economy.

AKP