PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Justice confirmed that it is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to create procedures for attaining a criminal background check while abroad. The ministry says an announcement will soon be made clarifying the new procedures.

In a meeting with laborers on September 9, Prime Minister Hun Manet said that he was in talks with Minister of Justice Koeut Rith about how to make the process of getting a background check more efficient and accessible by moving the service online.

"We need to rethink how to make things easier and cheaper for our workers, especially for those who need background checks, because those are not only for workers, but for others also," he said.

The Ministry of Justice will be announcing a timeline for the launch of phase two of the Digital Criminal Background Service, with phase one having begun in February 2023. The project aims to provide a faster, cheaper and more convenient way for citizens to obtain a background check for work, visas and other bureaucratic needs and is part of the new administration’s economic Pentagon Strategy.