Getting Electricity in Cambodia

Below is a detailed summary of the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building in Cambodia.

This information was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 190 economies. The most recent round of data collection was completed in June 2016.

Procedure

1 Submit application to Electricite Du Cambodge and await estimate

Agency: Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC)

The application should be submitted in person to the Distribution Department of Electricite Du Cambodge. The application should include the following documents: a certificate of property title (a photocopy is sufficient and there is no need for notarization) and a certificate of company registration. The client has to fill a form specifying the power needed and the list of equipment in the warehouse.

There are no official fees for the application. The time for this procedure includes an estimate for negotiation

2 Receive site inspection by Electricite Du Cambodge

Agency: Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC)

The Distribution Department of EDC sends an inspector to check the site and the area. After the inspection the EDC will do the assessment and quotation of the prices.

3 Await clearance from Electricite Du Cambodge and sign contract

Agency: Distribution Department Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC)

The consumer should obtain a clearance from the Distribution Department which has to assess whether EDC has enough capacity. The clearance is issued by the Managing Director of the Distribution Department. Once the clearance is issued the applicant signs a contract and pays fees

4 Await completion of external works, meter installation and final connection

Agency: Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC) and Electrical Contractor

For an additional load of 140kVA installation of a transformer for 160 kVA will be required. The external connection works are carried out by EDC. The meter gets installed at the same time as when the connection is done. If there is a road crossing it takes EDC additional 2 weeks to obtain an excavation permit

The security deposit has to be paid and is returned upon the termination of the power consumption. 

There is no supervision / inspection of the internal wiring before the final connection. EDC is responsible only for the external connection. The customer's private electrical engineer is in charge of the internal wiring. There is no requirement that the electrician must be licensed, so they can practice without a license. However, EDC is de facto the licencor of electrical engineers because they provide training courses. Attendees of this training receive a certificate that EDC recognizes. There is no other agency that provides the courses