Cambodia's Consumer Protection Law Adopted

Cambodia's Consumer Protection Law has been adopted by the National Assembly. It contains 11 Chapters and 51 Articles with the objective to ensure the protection of consumers, to contribute to the promotion of fair competition, and to provide rules and mechanism that will contribute to a trading environment in which the rights and interest of consumers are protected, businesses compete fairly and consumer and business engage with confidence. The Law applies to all persons conducting business activities regardless of whether profit or non-profit including sales of other goods, services or immovable property within the Kingdom of Cambodia, except where otherwise provided by other regulations.

As stipulated in the Law, the National Commission for Consumer Protection will be established and led by the Ministry of Commerce, with the involvement of relevant ministries and institutions, in which the Directorate General will be in charge of consumer protection as its implementing body to perform the duties and functions in relation to consumer protection issues. The Commission shall have the power to issue decisions and administrative sanctions. The organisation and function of the National Commission for Consumer Protection shall be determined by a sub-decree.

Along with the establishment of the National Commission for Consumer Protection, the consumer association will be created to represent the opinions and interests of consumer and appear before the National Commission for Consumer Protection or to represent consumer or consumer group whose rights and interests have been violated.

The main provisions under this Law includes the prohibition of unfair business conduct, the prohibition of unfair business practices, and the obligation to comply with consumer information standard. In accordance with the Law, sanctions shall include written warning, suspend, revoke or withdraw business certificates or business licenses, transaction fine, financial penalty and imprisonment.

Following the adoption of the law, the CAMCONTROL Directorate General of the Ministry of Commerce will be the implementing body in the future and will continue to draft the Sub-Decree on the function and organisation of the National Commission for Consumer Protection, as well as other implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the Law.