PHNOM PENH – Cambodia has introduced incentive policies for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to make them more resilient, contributing to economic growth. 

To achieve this goal, 7-Eleven, a leading international retail store, expressed its intention to join hands with the government to enhance the SME sector.  

Mr. Sontaya Wangsiriwate, Managing Director of CP ALL Cambodia, paid a courtesy call on Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation on March 12 to explore possibilities to sell more Cambodian products on 7-Elevan shelves in Cambodia.

The representative of CP ALL Cambodia discussed the topic with the Ministry of Agriculture leadership in August 2024.

In an interview with ThmeyThmey, Mr. Sontaya Wangsiriwate, managing director of CP ALL Cambodia said that from the opening of the first 7-Elevan store in August 2021, CP ALL has a clear principle — the CP Group’s interest is to provide a benefit to the country, people and company. Therefore, 7-Eleven has become Cambodian people’s store. 

“CP ALL has a business management principle that follows the path of three values, which is the benefit of the company, such as the benefit of the country, the people and the institution. We operate 7-Eleven to be a store of the Cambodian people, for Cambodia,” said Mr. Sontaya Wangsiriwate, with the strong hope that 7-Eleven will be a part of promoting the Cambodian economy to grow sustainably.

Through its stores, 7-Eleven has provided jobs to about 1,500 Cambodians. The well-known store brand also provides scholarships to Cambodian students to study in Thailand every year.

In addition, CP ALL is supporting many local SMEs to be able to sell their products on 7-Eleven shelves. Currently, about 11 percent of products sold at 7-Eleven are Cambodian, including cashews nuts, oranges, bananas and rice.

CP ALL also works with small entrepreneurs to understand their needs and knowledge in business development and has organized training courses for local partners on product standards for the first time and plans to organize such courses in the future.

Regarding the SMEs sector, CP ALL is willing to cooperate with the Cambodian government to achieve its mission of further enhancing the potential of SMEs in the future, said Mr. Sontaya Wangsiriwate.

As of the end of 2024, Cambodia had a total of 43,970 SMEs and accrual enterprises, including 8,325 female entrepreneurs, contributing to job creation and income for 476,223 people, including 144,559 women, according to the 2024 Work Results Report and 2025 Work Directions of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation.