For many, the Covid-19 pandemic brought their years of business to its knees.
In Siem Reap, the tourism capital of Cambodia which posted a 97 per cent year-on-year fall in tourist arrivals as at end-November last year, saw nearly 1,500 hospitality-related outlets close down by September that year.
As for garment manufacturing, an industry that has held up Cambodia’s economy for decades, some 130 facilities have ceased operation.
A check around Phnom Penh would reveal shuttered businesses dotting the streetscape. What’s more, the negative impact is still unfolding as retail businesses, be it a coffee shop, local restaurant or convenient store, progressively ceased operation as the New Year rolled in.