Dear Members, Partners, and Friends, as we bid farewell to 2024 and look forward to the new year, I am proud to reflect on the journey we have shared.
First, let me express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you. This year marked a significant milestone for EuroCham Cambodia: we reached a record membership base of over 420 members during two overall difficult years, reflecting the trust and belief you all place in the vibrancy of the chamber. Your membership is much more than a contribution to the Chamber—it is an investment in the collective strength of our business community. Through your engagement, we have amplified our voice and made significant strides in advocacy. Together, we have presented a unified platform to the Royal Government of Cambodia, voicing our concerns, ideas, and recommendations on a wide range of issues affecting businesses.
However, the year was not without its challenges. Like many of you in the past years, EuroCham faced financial pressures. While we continued to lower our overall cost and are stay significantly below 2020 expense levels, reduced revenues made it necessary to review our membership fees for the first time in six years. This step was not taken lightly, and we deeply appreciate your understanding and continued support. The adjustment ensures that we can maintain the quality and breadth of services that you, as members, deserve and expect.
I am proud that our advocacy efforts throughout the year have been both efficient and impactful. The Royal Government of Cambodia recognises EuroCham as a key supporter of reform and progressive policies. EuroCham plays an instrumental role in advocating for business-friendly regulations, ensuring that the perspectives of our members are heard. Whether it’s providing feedback on proposed policies or collaborating on initiatives to foster economic growth, EuroCham is a trusted partner of the government. This recognition belongs to each of you who have supported us through participating in our committees or by voicing your concerns and ideas.
As we step into the New Year, our mission remains to empower businesses, drive economic progress, and help to create a thriving environment for all. Here are a few priorities we are focusing on in the coming year:
Strengthening Advocacy: We will continue to enhance our advocacy efforts, ensuring that your voices are represented at the highest levels of government. A major focus in the coming year will lie on reforming administrative processes to cut red tape on the logistics, tourism, renewable energy, and digital sectors. EuroCham is a digital pioneer itself, having launched its unique “Advocacy Compass” where you can follow all of our activities online.
Member Engagement: We are committed to networking, learning, and collaboration. Expect an exciting calendar of events, workshops, and forums designed to connect and inspire our members. Our January Toast to 2025, the AGM in March and a series of events throughout EU Week in May are great opportunities to bring our community together.
Innovation and Growth: We continue to explore innovative ways to support businesses in adapting to new challenges. Our bi-annual, comprehensive Business Pulse survey will be launched shortly, and service packages for market entrants and members, our newsletter, and social media communication are set to further improve and grow our work and reach.
In a difficult economic environment during the past two years, resilience has been a key word when speaking about the Cambodian economy. Optimism was the other, as we continued to address new and old challenges as the Kingdom’s most important international business community. Together, we are stronger. Please continue to support our work and join us if you are not yet a member.
In closing, let me extend a very special thanks goes to the whole EuroCham team which is managing and operating a huge number of tasks on a daily basis under often difficult conditions. It has been a pleasure to work with this talented and multinational team, and I warmly welcome the new team members that have joined us in the last months.
I would like to thank the board and executive committee. They continue to guide and support the work of the chamber with their expertise, wisdom, and hands-on support in improving the way we work and in increasing our efficiency. Thank you for being an integral part of our Chamber and for your unwavering commitment to our shared vision.
My warmest wishes to you, your families, and your teams for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. May 2025 bring growth, success, and fulfillment to you and your businesses.
