National Bank of Cambodia Places Chief Bank Under Temporary Administration

Chief Bank has been placed under temporary administration by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) after inspections were said to have revealed non-compliance with certain regulations. 

According to a press release issued by the NBC on September 21, 2026, accounting and business advisory firm, Baker Tilly, has been appointed as Chief Bank's temporary administrator for a period of three months.

During this period, Baker Tilly will hold full authority to manage and represent Chief Bank in all bank operations, including processing customer deposit withdrawals and necessary non-consequential expenses. The temporary administrator's role is to also assess the situation at the bank and report back to the NBC in order to facilitate the resolution of any issues that arise.

The NBC press release notes that all borrowers of Chief Bank must continue to fulfil their regular debt repayment obligations as usual.

This notice of temporary administration follows a clarification issued by Chief Bank earlier this month on the continuation of regular banking operations after the Phnom Penh Municipal Court ordered a freeze on one of the bank's shareholder's personal accounts. 

At the time, Chief Bank reassured its customers that this court-ordered freeze only targeted a shareholder's personal assets and did not involve the bank itself, thus leaving all retail, corporate, and digital financial services fully secure and unaffected.