Cambodia Post, in collaboration with Swisscontact through the Global Alliance of Trade Facilitation's Improving Small Package E-Trade for SMEs (SeT4SME) Project, marked a significant milestone in the digitalisation of Cambodia's postal services with the official launch of its new website and mobile application.
The launch event took place on November 24, 2023, at the Fairfield by Marriott in Phnom Penh, and was attended by key stakeholders, Cambodia Post representatives and SMEs.
Enhancing E-Commerce For SMEs
As cross-border e-commerce continues to grow, Cambodia Post recognises its pivotal role as a key player in facilitating small package trading and enhancing Cambodia's position in the global trade chain. The postal network provides Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) with an affordable and direct means to participate in e-commerce, reducing dependencies on distributors, customs brokers, and retailers.
The new website reflects these efforts and is structured to be more user-friendly, with more information readily available for businesses engaging in e-commerce.
Then Samvisoth, Director General of Cambodia Post, told B2B Cambodia:
The new website makes it much easier for customers to get all the information they need. It is more business-oriented compared to the previous one... [business owners] can immediately calculate the logistics costs, the last minute delivery fee that they should incorporate into their prices, and they also no longer need to come to the post office to do this in person – with just one click they can get all information they need.
Sok Kha, the Workstream Team Leader of the SeT4SME project at Swisscontact, also gave more details about the new streamlined system the website offers.
"Before the launch of this new website, people needed to fill in all the information on their shipment on paper and then drop the parcel off at Cambodia Post's central office in Phnom Penh," said Sok Kha. "But now, all this information – including about the recipient, sender, the item descriptions – all of it can be captured and shared electronically in advance to the customs department."
"This is just one of the new features of the Cambodia Post website, with other features including a new addressing system, a new system for domestic delivery and booking, and something new related to e-commerce. We can also buy postal stamps on the new website, and, of course, there is a track and trace capability as well," he added.
Digitalisation Milestone
Sok Kha explained that one of the SeT4SME project's main goals was to enhance the competitiveness of Cambodian SMEs in regard to cross border e-commerce. One of the ways the project sought to do this was by enhancing the connection between the Cambodia Post and the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) in order to expedite the customs clearance process for international postal shipments.
"[The new digital system will] allow for the advance sharing of shipment data so that customs can process the information even before the arrival of goods, so once customs confirms that the shipment has no risk and the shipment arrives in Cambodia, then it can release the shipment without taking so much time," said Sok Kha.
From the private sector's perspective, this will reduce a lot of time and cost.
According to a press release issued by Cambodia Post and Swisscontact, the launch of the new website and mobile application falls in line with the Cambodian government's recently introduced Pentagonal Strategy-Phase 1, which underscores the significance of technology and prioritises the advancement of digital economy and society.
Cambodia Post's new digital system represents a significant reform milestone, offering dynamic digital features such as parcel tracking, request for pickups, shipping fee calculations, and the preparation of electronic shipping labels (CN22/CN23).
The postal network has expressed it is committed to providing faster, more efficient, and customer-centric postal solutions through digitalisation.
On the whole, the newly launched website is expected to simplify the postal process for users, making domestic and international parcel sending easier than ever before, aligning well with the broader objective of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation and the SeT4SME Project to foster economic growth and innovation in Cambodia.
The Improving Small Package E-Trade for SMEs (SeT4SME) Project, a two-year initiative (2021-2023) by the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, is implemented by Swisscontact in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), Cambodia Post, Universal Postal Union (UPU), The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the Cambodian Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA).
This article was partly adapted from a supplied press release.