Background
On 7 August 2026 in Phnom Penh, Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth led an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss principles for preparing ministry announcements, inter-ministerial announcements, and joint announcements issued by ministries and institutions. The Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers serves as head of the legal advisory council and the law-reform steering committee.
Participants included ministers, state secretaries, deputy state secretaries, ministry and institutional officials and legal specialists who discussed scope, principles, formats and implementation procedures for such announcements. Anukret No.170, dated 23 July 2024, provides guidance on format and procedural measures for drafting bills and other legal documents but does not establish substantive drafting principles for legal content.
Scope of Application
The guidance under development will target ministry announcements, inter-ministerial announcements and joint announcements issued by ministries and public institutions. The meeting emphasised narrowing the operational scope for announcements that affect investment, business and public services, and prioritising legal conformity, necessity and assessment of impacts on livelihoods and commerce when determining which announcements require stricter review.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Meeting participants reached consensus on three core criteria to underpin the draft guidance: legal conformity (nityanukolapheap), demonstrable necessity, and a clear assessment of likely impacts on citizens’ livelihoods and businesses. The meeting noted that the existing 2024 sub-decree focuses mainly on format and procedural steps, creating a need for additional principles addressing substantive content and scope of application for ministerial announcements.
Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth instructed the creation of a specialised inter-ministerial working group to draft the guidance in line with the Prime Minister’s direction and the meeting’s conclusions.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
The stated purpose of the guidance is to strengthen legal order and institutional discipline by clarifying when and how ministries should issue announcements and joint prakas. The meeting linked improved drafting principles to a reduction in overlapping authority and to mitigating negative impacts on business operations and citizens’ daily lives, particularly for measures that touch on investment, commerce and public service delivery.
Official Source
Source: Office of the Council of Ministers Facebook post, 7 August 2026 — https://www.facebook.com/ocmcambodia/posts/pfbid02EvL9isxjjPyL8APcnvVY51RfChXJnXM4Jh8zSa5ky9WToCBvaSav84pwc7PcsyTXl
