Background
The Office of the Council of Ministers hosted a workshop on 25 August 2026 in Phnom Penh to review Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) and Good Regulatory Practice (GRP), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissuth and attended by about 500 officials. The event was organised by the Council of Ministers’ Economic, Social and Cultural Council in cooperation with the British Embassy in Phnom Penh and included remarks from Abigail Fryer, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy.
Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is an analytical tool used to assess the likely effects of proposed laws and regulations on stakeholders and economic outcomes. Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) establishes a governance framework that covers the regulatory lifecycle from problem identification through monitoring and review. Workshop speakers emphasised that RIA should be undertaken before or during the drafting of bills rather than at the late stages of drafting, and that GRP should guide the broader governance of legal instruments across identification, consultation, drafting, implementation, monitoring and review.
Scope of Application
The workshop focused on strengthening national systems for law and regulatory design across Cambodian ministries and institutions, including institutionalising RIA and embedding GRP across the regulatory lifecycle. Officials discussed capacity development, system enhancements and legal frameworks needed for routine regulatory delivery within ministries and agencies.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Speakers identified priority measures including: providing training to ministries so they can perform RIA independently, developing regulatory frameworks and procedures for RIA and GRP, and coordinating implementation across institutions. The Office of the Council of Ministers signalled support for sustained capacity building and domestic funding for regulatory functions rather than sole reliance on external partners.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Event participants argued that well-prepared legal instruments and RIA can reduce unnecessary burdens, increase legal clarity and support investment and entrepreneurship, while poorly drafted regulation may create compliance costs, overlap of authority and uncertainty for businesses. Institutionalising GRP aims to improve predictability in the regulatory environment that businesses and investors face in Cambodia.
Official Source
Office of the Council of Ministers Facebook post, 25 August 2026: source.
