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At the ASEAN-Cambodia Business Summit in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Manet called on business leaders to invest in the country for what he said is Cambodia’s growing potential within the regional bloc’s economic integration.
The annual summit, which kicked off Tuesday, has brought together more than 300 local and international companies and nearly 700 business representatives. The forum aims to provide a platform connecting business leaders across the Mekong region.
The event comes as Cambodia seeks to ease reputational pressure over issues affecting investor confidence, including the illicit online scam industry, corruption and regulatory concerns, as well as the closure of land border crossings with Thailand that are vital to manufacturing supply chains.
Hun Manet said the country’s “political stability,” expanding market access through free trade agreements and continued regulatory reforms were key attractions for investors. He added that the government is committed to eliminating online scam centers by the end of April.
“For investment in the year 2026, this is the best and most unprecedented opportunity,” he told the forum. “I would like to urge all leaders in this room to look further and see the potential of our economic integration. Let us work together to build the infrastructure for the future.”
The Cambodian leader also highlighted major infrastructure projects, including the Funan Techo Canal and a new international airport in Phnom Penh, as strengthening export capacity. While the airport opened late last year, development of the flagship canal project has repeatedly stalled, and communities affected by the project say they have yet to receive information about compensation.
Foreign direct investment inflows into Cambodia in 2025 totaled just over $5 billion, according to government data, up more than 18% from 2024. Nearly two-thirds came from Chinese investors, with Singapore a distant second among ASEAN states, accounting for 7% of inflows. South Korea and Canada each accounted for 4%, Malaysia for 3%, while other countries collectively represented 9%.
For regional investment advisers, the issue of scam networks, which Phnom Penh has placed a self-imposed deadline to eradicate by the end of April as part of an ongoing crackdown, remains one of the biggest threats to the country’s growth.
“For quite a while now we have been calling out scam centers as the biggest threat to Cambodia’s long term future,” said Stephen Higgins, managing partner of Phnom Penh-based Mekong Strategic Capital.
“While I have long believed that the Prime Minister is serious about eliminating scam centers, what we have seen in recent weeks is welcome evidence that he has been able to overcome vested interests that had been protecting this industry,” he added.
While the government’s enforcement campaign has reportedly curbed operations at major compounds, analysts remain concerned about limited investigations into elites with alleged ties to the networks and what some describe as a “humanitarian crisis” after trafficking victims fled ahead of raids and received little assistance with repatriation.
Higgins also called for a return to the “reformist zeal” seen at the start of Hun Manet’s premiership in 2023, when power was passed from his father, Hun Sen.
“Cambodia’s governance reforms are a work in progress. We’re not going to reach perfection overnight, and we need to be pragmatic about exceptions. But I do think they’re moving in the right direction,” he said.
