Synopsis
With rapid economic growth sustained at average growth rate of 8% between 1998 and 2018, Cambodia is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Over the past two decades, Cambodia has transitioned from a low-income country and reached lower middle-income status in 2015. With rapid growth, expanding middle class, sizeable expat community and welcoming investment framework, Cambodia has seen the entrance of international franchises and global brands in recent years.
There has never been any clear guidance on the recordal of license and franchise contracts until recently, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued a Prakas (Ministerial Decree) on Recordal of License and Franchise Contracts which took effect from 13 January 2020. The recordal is administered by the MOC’s Department of Intellectual Property Rights (DIPR).
Unimmune to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia has seen weakened tourism and construction activity. Growth under the baseline scenario is projected to contract by 1.0 percent in 2020 and to quickly recover to 6.0 percent in 2021 (Cambodia in the time of COVID-19, May 2020, World Bank). Meanwhile, Cambodian exports to the US market increased 23 per cent to $2.75 billion in the first half of 2020. Thailand’s largest convenience-store operator CP All Plc is also in negotiations for a Master Franchise agreement in relation to the establishment and operation of 7-Eleven stores in Cambodia.
In this webinar, our speakers will share their insight on the opportunities and challenges ahead in the Cambodian franchise market.
Meet Our Speakers
| Sarith Hem Special Advisor Cambodia Franchise Club | Sarith Hem is currently the Special Advisor of Cambodia Franchise Club and R&D Advisor (Base in Cambodia Market) of IFD Australia. He advises businesses in the implementation of innovative productivity and promotes SMEs and entrepreneurship through franchising. He started his career in Banking & Finance for 7 years before he turned to IT specialist and business acquisition in between 2009 to 2015. He specialized on financing, technology, business acquisitions, Public Relation, Research & Development. |
| Hendrick Ho Co-Founder and Digital Marketing Specialist SEOciety | Hendrick is experienced with national-level and cross-border digital media campaigns, using both English and Chinese marketing platforms such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, WeChat, Weibo, Baidu and Douyin. He has successfully partnered clients of all sizes (from SMEs to MNCs) to gain entry and expand into the China & South-East Asian markets using Digital Marketing Tools such as WeChat, Weibo, Baidu, Douyin, etc.Hendrick has more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Along with project and event management, Hendrick is also known for his ability to create innovative technology-based products and systems. He has trained at various institutions e.g. Singapore Management University, SG Enable, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, GIN Austria, Japanese Business Associations, SkillsFuture courses, etc.Hendrick has a deep passion to help people, especially the underprivileged, to empower them to fulfil their potential and spur them towards self-sufficiency and better employment. His experience includes founding a social enterprise to alleviate poverty in Asian developing countries through arts and its creative form, and mentoring in local non-profit organisations. |
| Wun Rizwi Partner RHTLaw Asia | Rizwi is one of the founding members of RHTLaw Asia. He has been in practice for about 20 years and is the Acting Head of the Firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice. Rizwi’s main areas of legal practice covers the creation, protection, commercialisation and enforcement of intellectual property in Singapore, and also in the region. Rizwi also advises on legal and regulatory aspects of technology-related matters, with particular emphasis on Data Protection, Cyber Security, and Competition Law issues. He contributes regularly on topics including life sciences research, data protection, and franchising and has been featured, most recently in 2016, in the Singapore Business Times and Bloomberg Asia relating to issues on cyber security and data protection. |
| HOUN Vannak Managing Partner RHTLaw Cambodia | Mr. Houn Vannak is a registered and recognized member of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (BAKC). Mr. Vannak has strong knowledge of Cambodia commercial and investment regulatory frameworks, he has advised clients in many various sectors to maximize their investment opportunities throughout the investment while minimizing the risks and costs from acquiring business licenses as they look to invest in Cambodia. His areas of expertise include Corporate, Industrial, Real Estate and Infrastructure, Financial Institutions, Investment and Dispute Settlement. |
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