To enhance ethical and responsible lending among credit officers and credit related staff within Banking and Financial Institutions (BFIs), CMA in collaboration the Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) with support from the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has introduced “Responsible Lending” certification program since 2022. By 2025, the cortication will become compulsory for credit-related staff, particularly credit officers.
By the end of 2023, 15,765 credit-related staff from CMA members have registered and studied in the program and 76% of them have pass the certification exam of “Responsible Lending”. An additional 9,155 credit-related staff have already enrolled in 2024 to join the program, demonstrating a strong commitment from the industry. By the end this year, all 25,276 credit-related staff in the microfinance sector are expected to be certified, as the certification will become compulsory for credit-related staff from 2025.
This collaborative initiative aims to equip the credit-related staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure responsible lending practices. The program emphasizes ethical principles and consumer protection, aiming to prevent customer over-indebtedness and foster a sustainable financial system that promotes financial inclusion for all Cambodians. CMA and its members are committed to ethical lending and consumer protection practices through empowering credit-related staff to make informed decisions that benefit both borrowers and lenders, paving the way for a more inclusive and robust financial sector in Cambodia.
“I am grateful to have the opportunity to participate in the short-course training conducted by Cambodia Microfinance Association. I found the material and the resources very pertinent to the issues that we are dealing with today in issue and experience. I have learnt a lot from the trainer who shared his valuable practical experiences”. said by Ms. Phoin Socheata, Finance Manager, Cam Capital Public Limited, who participated the program.
“The group discussion was also wonderful as we can share our current practices and problems we faced to seek solutions. The tools shared by our trainer were very helpful to improve our work quality in timely manner,” she added.
