How to use the Cambodia Online Business Registration System?

With the rollout of the new Cambodia Online Business Registration System, which is supposed to reduce the time to start a company from three months to eight days in the Kingdom, we look at what you need to know about the digital process.

What is the Cambodia Online Business Registration System?

The online portal and digital service is available at registrationservices.gov.kh and is operable since June 15th 2020. We initially reported on the pending portal in early June 2020 before the launch, and the web portal was called the Cambodian National Information Technology Business Registration Platform. The newly named Online Business Registration System refers to itself as the "Single Portal" and is developed by Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance using Cambodia Data Exchange (CamDX) system. On the site, they say "We are Single Window Service that provides support for online business registration. We are here to help you tackle your problems arise during your registration process through the platform." The Royal Government of Cambodia also issued a Sub-Decree on the Online Business Registration System on the 10th June 2020. The Sub-Decree defines the procedures, requirements, and approval for online business registrations. It can be applied to registrations under the following:

• Ministry of Commerce
• Tax registrations with the General Department of Taxation
• Verification of enterprise establishment by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training
• Registration of Qualified Investment Projects by the Council of Development of Cambodia

This process also permits representatives of business owners to register a business on their behalf and other relevant ministries/institutions will get involved in later stages states the website. Speaking at the launch of the service, Cambodia's Minister for Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth conceded the previous system, in which applicants had to deal with each ministry separately, was "costly and complicated." The minister said the new service would cut the price of starting a business by 50%. Currently, six Cambodian ministries are linked with the Online Business Registration System.

• Ministry of Commerce
• General Department of Taxation
• Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training
• Ministry of Interior
• Council of Development of Cambodia
• Ministry of Economy and Finance

Cambodia Online Business Registration System Procedure

How to use the Cambodia Online Business Registration System?

There is also a Facebook page for the new Cambodia online business system and they have produced an English 29-page user guide which "features useful information such as forms of enterprise, classifications of taxpayers, attachments, pricing scheme, steps on how to register on the new system." Importantly you can also pay the registrations online and they have been saying registration approval will be completed within 8 working days. Digital certifications and licenses will also be available on the web portal.

Benefits of Cambodia Online Business Registration System

1. Approval time is a maximum of 8 working days;
2. Eliminate the provision of repetitive information;
3. Spend much less;
4. Register and pay online for all services at once;
5. Obtain digital licenses and certificates via the system.

The Facebook page said "via the newly-launched online business registration system, you will only have to wait 8 working days at most if all submitted documents are correct. Incorrect submissions will result in a delay in the whole registration process. For more information, please contact our hotline at 081 888 296 (English speakers available) or chat with us via Facebook or Live Chat on our website."

Fees to register your business in Cambodia

You can see the image below with the breakdown of the fees to register your business in Cambodia on the Online Business Registration System: Fees to register your business on the Cambodia Online Business Registration System You may also pay for the registration services online using ABA Pay if you are an ABA Bank customer or using a credit/ debit card if you are a customer of other banks says the user guide. There is also an English video on Youtube which explain how the portal works and the number of steps previously required to register a business in Cambodia. (Please note - some of the English could be improved but the essentials are there.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXRFjSsMLP0&t=1s

CamDigiKey

It appears users will also need to create a CamDigiKey account which is a mobile app (Android and iOS), and a 'secure mobile authentification service". The Online Business Registration Team checks the information and attached documents before approving an account. CamDigiKey is the "Cambodian government’s most advanced mobile single sign-on service you can trust. With CamDigiKey, you are now able to access all digital government services in Cambodia." In principle, they say the approval is made within 24 hours, however, they will try to approve within 8 working hours. 

Qualified Investment Project (QIP)

Potential investors in Cambodia can also access the QIP through the website.

Cambodian Business Registration Certificate Procedure

The following is a breakdown provided by EuroCham for the registration certificate procedure on the new online system.

• Within 3 days after receiving an application, the Ministry of Commerce reviews the information and provides a certificate of business registration in digital form.
• Within 4 days after the approval of the registration, the General Tax Department reviews the information and provides tax patent registration in digital form. Taxpayers will be taxed only 50% of the patent tax to promote online tax registrations. The business must provide bank account details to the General Department of Taxation within 15 days.
• After business registration and tax registration approval, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training will review the enterprises opening notice; and provide an administrative registration number of enterprises opening notice within 1 day. Unless otherwise notified by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the enterprise opening notice will be deemed as automatically revived and received.
• Within 20 days after receiving the application, the Cambodia Development Council reviews the accuracy of the information and provides the Plan Registration Certificate in digital form.

There is also an informed FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section on the site.

KhmerSME

In June 2020, the Cambodian Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation also is said to be reportedly setting up another online portal, this one is aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs), called KhmerSME.