Cambodia Investment Review
CamEd Business School convened a focused workshop on real estate trusts last night, engaging students, faculty, and members of Cambodia’s business and investment community. The session was led by His Excellency Sok Dara, Director of the Trust Regulator of Cambodia, who provided a comprehensive overview of the Kingdom’s trust framework, recent regulatory developments, and the growing relevance of trusts in Cambodia’s financial sector.
The workshop emphasized the increasing importance of trust structures in Cambodia, particularly commercial trusts, which currently dominate the market. Among these, real estate trusts represent the largest and fastest-growing segment, reflecting broader trends in property ownership and investment structuring.
Advancing Knowledge on Emerging Financial Structures
The event forms part of CamEd’s strategic focus on equipping students and stakeholders with timely and practical insights into evolving financial instruments. Discussions covered a broad range of issues, including the legal mechanisms designed to protect trust beneficiaries, the potential for misuse through tax evasion—a challenge faced internationally—and the interface between trust arrangements and traditional inheritance via wills.
The introduction of a new prakas on trust taxation was highlighted as a significant step toward creating a clearer and more investor-friendly regulatory environment. This development is expected to strengthen market confidence, particularly among foreign investors evaluating trust structures for asset protection and investment planning in Cambodia.
Remarks from the Trust Regulator
In his keynote remarks, His Excellency Sok Dara addressed both technical and policy-level questions raised by participants. He underscored the government’s commitment to fostering a transparent and robust trust regime that aligns with international standards while serving Cambodia’s unique economic and legal context.
He also pointed to international benchmarks—such as Singapore, where the financial value of family trusts far exceeds Cambodia’s GDP—as indicative of the long-term potential for trust markets in emerging economies. While Cambodia’s trust sector remains in the early stages of development, the regulator noted significant room for growth, supported by proactive policy measures and increasing market awareness.
A Platform for Continued Engagement
CamEd Business School continues to position itself as a key platform for dialogue between policymakers, the private sector, and the next generation of business professionals. Chairman Dr. Virak Prum encouraged students to stay informed and engaged, noting that the ability to understand and navigate complex financial structures like trusts will be essential in their future careers.
As the legal and regulatory environment around trusts continues to evolve, CamEd remains committed to providing thought leadership and academic support for market participants and future financial professionals. The institution plans to host further seminars and workshops to ensure its academic community remains aligned with the latest market developments.
For more information about CamEd Business School and its academic offerings, visit: https://cam-ed.edu.kh
