Introduction
On 26 May 2026, the Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia (ʺMOCʺ) issued Prakas No. 044 MOC.BRD.PrK on the Simplification of Business Registration Phase II (ʺPrakas No. 044ʺ). The purpose of Prakas No. 044 is to continue the simplification and modernisation of the business registration process, building upon Prakas No. 117 MOC.BRD.PrK on the Simplification of Business Registration (ʺPrakas No. 117ʺ), dated 9 December 2025. For more information on Prakas No. 117, please see our earlier Client Update on “New Regulatory Development on Simplified Business Registration” here.
Key Features
This Update highlights the key features outlined under Prakas No. 044.
- Identification of Commercial Enterprise Legal Forms
Prakas No. 044 clarifies MOC’s existing requirement for using specific prefixes and suffixes to identify each legal form of commercial enterprise:
| Forms of Commercial Enterprises | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietorship | Sole Proprietorship | |
| Branch of a local company | Local Branch | |
| Branch of a foreign company | Foreign Branch | |
| Commercial representative office OR relations office | Commercial Representative Office OR Commercial Relations Office | |
| Forms of Commercial Enterprises | Suffixes |
|---|---|
| General partnership | General Partnership OR GP |
| Limited partnership | Limited Partnership OR LP |
| Private limited company | Private Limited Company OR CO., LTD. |
| Public limited company | Public Limited Company OR PLC |
2. Certain Clarifications on the Filing Process
- Business Objectives
Prakas No. 044 compiles the business objectives that require approval in principle or prior approval from the relevant authorities, as required by specific laws and regulations. Those activities are listed in Annex 1 of Prakas No. 044.
Applicants are strongly advised to carefully review the applicable laws and regulations in their sector before starting commercial registration. This will help ensure that any necessary approvals are obtained, making the registration process smoother and supporting the successful registration of the business.
- Filing of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (“MOA”)
The filing of the MOA of a company will be done electronically through this portal: www.registrationservices.gov.kh. MOC will attest the submitted MOA through verify.gov.kh instead of stamping on hard copies of the MOA.
- Registration of Local Branches
Prakas No. 044 officially states that companies incorporated in Cambodia can now register their local branches electronically through an online platform. The request letter and the power of attorney for this registration can be signed by one director of the company. Additionally, changes to the branch manager do not require notification to MOC.
- Filing of Company Secretary’s Information
Prakas No. 044 clarifies that any person can be appointed as a company secretary for limited companies provided there is no incompatibility, as determined by the applicable laws and regulations. The information of the company secretary shall be registered electronically in the system at no cost.
Additionally, the deposit requirement is not a prerequisite for the qualifications of the company secretary.
- Filing of Annual Declaration of Commercial Enterprise (“ADCE”)
Registered limited companies, branches of foreign companies, and representative offices of foreign companies are obliged to file ADCE via www.registrationservices.gov.kh within three months prior to the anniversary of the commercial registration date and an additional 15-day grace period from the same registration date.
- Data Management of Companies
At this stage, given that MOC has recently updated its system, companies may encounter various issues with their current usernames and passwords when accessing the updated system or the companies’ data. In this case, the company secretary or a duly authorised representative, equipped with a letter of authorisation, may contact the Ad-hoc Group of MOC or MOC’s hotline at 1266 for assistance.
- Dissolution and De-registration
Prakas No. 044 simplifies the requirements for the filing of intent to dissolve by requiring the submission of only: (i) a declaration of intent to dissolve; and (ii) a collective resolution of the shareholder(s).
3. Removal of Administrative Complaints
Prakas No. 044 entirely abrogates the provision allowing for the filing of administrative complaints to MOC, which was previously established by Prakas No. 117.
If you have any queries on the above, please reach out to our team set out on this page.
For regional General Corporate Commercial matters, please see Rajah & Tann Asia’s Regional Corporate & Commercial Practice for more information.
Disclaimer
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Please note also that whilst the information in this publication is correct to the best of our knowledge and belief at the time of writing, it is only intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter and should not be treated as legal advice or a substitute for specific professional advice for any particular course of action as such information may not suit your specific business and operational requirements. You should seek legal advice for your specific situation. In addition, the information in this publication does not create any relationship, whether legally binding or otherwise. Rajah & Tann Asia and its member firms do not accept, and fully disclaim, responsibility for any loss or damage which may result from accessing or relying on the information in this publication.
