PHNOM PENH: The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Em Chan Makara, has stated that providing opportunities for persons with disabilities to gain access to financial services can help contribute to improving their lives.

Secretary of State Em Chan Makara made this statement while speaking at the opening ceremony of the dissemination workshop on "Disability Inclusion for Financial Services Providers" on Friday, 31 March 2023, at the Cambodiana Hotel.

He said that to ensure the economic security and autonomy of persons with disabilities, they need access to have access to loans and capital to invest in various business activities and financial products including deposits, payments and insurance.

The Secretary of State emphasized that providing greater opportunities for persons with disabilities to access financial services is an investment that all public institutions, the private sector and civil society can participate in making, in order to improve lives and address obstacles that persons with disabilities face.

He added that the current workshop provides a good opportunity for stakeholders to share experiences of providing financial services to persons with disabilities, which is something all banking and financial institutions should prioritize.

The Secretary of State further encouraged all workshop participants to seize the opportunity to build a good relationship between the disability and financial sector, because such cooperation allows for more work to be done towards achieving the goal of providing comprehensive legal and equitable financial services for persons with disabilities in Cambodia.