The cost of doing business

Cambodia’s growl too quiet to be Asia’s next tiger yet

Even by the often low standards of the world’s poorest nations, Cambodia is notoriously corrupt. The country ranks 162nd in watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, and a 2006 study by the same organization describes corruption as having “pervaded almost every sector of the country”. While much of this activity involves the taking of small bribes by officials for certificates, authorizations and the like, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that corruption has a negative effect on business and poses a threat to development.