IFC has supported Cambodia’s banking sector through investments aimed at strengthening financial institutions and expanding access to finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including women-owned MSMEs (WMSMEs). In 2021, IFC provided a seven-year subordinated loan to Hattha Bank Plc. (HTB). The financing aimed to strengthen the Bank’s resilience amid the COVID-19 pandemic and support HTB’s long-term strategy to expand MSME and WMSME lending, contributing to economic activity, job creation, and post-crisis recovery in Cambodia.

In July 2025, CAO received a complaint from the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) on behalf of a borrower from HTB. The complainant alleges adverse social impacts linked to microfinance lending and collection practices, including alleged coercion to sell land outside legal foreclosure methods, threats and intimidation, and increased pressure to incur higher indebtedness.

In April 2026, CAO found the complaint eligible and initiated an assessment. During the CAO assessment process, the parties agreed to engage directly to resolve the issues raised. In May 2026, CAO received information from the parties that the issues in the complaint were resolved. In accordance with paragraph 55 of the CAO Policy, CAO concluded the assessment process and closed the case. The Assessment Report is available in English and Khmer.