Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 2016) – Mekong Institute (MI) has conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) on SME Development at the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) of Cambodia in the Phnom Penh from February 23 to 26, 2016. The training, in cooperation with the Trade Training and Research Institute (TTRI) of the MoC, is part of the Trade Development Support Program financed by the World Bank. The overarching objective of the program is to develop the trainers’ and trainees’ guide and manual, provide capacity to the officials of MoC, and train them to become committed and competent trainers. 

A total of 54 government officials of the MoC joined the training. Among these participants, over half of them came from the Phnom Penh. Mr. Suon Vichea, Director of Trade Training and Research Institute (TTRI) of MoC, Cambodia, made an opening remark to welcome the participants. He highlighted the importance of capacity building for MoC officials along with the increasing prominence of the regional economic integration. Mr. Madhurija Kumar Dutta, Director of Trade and Investment Facilitation Department (TIF) of MI, in his welcome speech, expressed that Cambodia is now in the crucial period of economic transformation with a surge of foreign investors. Therefore, it calls for more institutional and capacity improvement to optimize the policy and regulatory framework in Cambodia. 

The training has covered four topics pertinent to SME development, namely Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Working with SMEs and SME Promotion; SME Integration into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC); and SME Cluster Development and Export Consortia. During the four-day TOT program, the participants have been equipped with the relevant information, knowledge, and skills through an integrated training methodology consisting of lectures, individual and group assignments, case studies, simulation games, and visuals. The participants have also taken the training opportunity to exchange the findings from their on-the-job experience by interacting with others. 

After the training, the participants are expected to transfer the knowledge and skills to enhance capability of departmental staff in the MoC, and the target stakeholders and beneficiaries in the local level through conducting similar trainings or workshops in Cambodia. The content is based on the training curricula that MI has developed for the MoC.