Suon Vichea, director of the intellectual property department of the Ministry of Commerce and head of secretariat of the National Intellectual Property Management Committee, recently announced that Cambodia will soon have a franchise law as the franchising industry further develops.

According to him, franchising has become a common business strategy in the country by using the advantages of IP. He also pointed out that franchises may flourish in Cambodia as the country has a robust and effective IP law. “There is already an effective legal framework for IP protection for both Cambodian nationals and foreign nationals to commercialize their IP assets,” he said, referring to the rules and regulations that comply with international IP law.

Until the franchise law is officially enacted, Vichea emphasized the significance of franchise agreements registered with the Ministry of Commerce, highlighting their binding nature on all involved parties.

In addition, Vichea also highlighted the untapped market space for halal-related food services in Cambodia despite the industry’s growth, urging Malaysian franchisors and Cambodian companies to explore this opportunity. “As far as we are aware, a sizable portion of Muslims make up Cambodia’s religious demographic. Here, the investor should think of offering the services to satisfy both local and foreign Muslim visitors’ needs,” he said.

- Excel V. Dyquiangco