Investors on the Cambodia Securities Exchange could soon have more trading time as the exchange regulator considers adding four trading sessions with the hopes of increasing trade volume.

The move, which could happen within a month, is one of a few proposed measures that insiders hope would help the market evolve.

If the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia approves the recent CSX request, there could be a total of six sessions. Trading currently opens for two sessions in the morning.

“We are currently working on this,” Ming Bankosal, director general of the SECC, said yesterday.

The exchange, and its only listed company Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, have seen a low volume of trading during the past month, although the number of shares traded have picked up since Thursday last week.

More trading sessions would expand access to the exchange in the short run, something that could help boost trading volume, said Lamun Soleil, deputy director general of market operations at the exchange.

“The market is still very basic. It’s too simple right now. We think [adding trading sessions] will give people more opportunity to trade,” he said.

The market needs more fine tuning than just increasing the amount of trading time, brokers have said. At present, buying shares on the CSX takes two days before the transaction is settled.

Bui Tuan Duong, broker manager at Cambodia-Vietnam Securities, said a continuous trading scheme  and real time orders would improve the market’s liquidity.

Traders cannot cancel trades once placed. The clearance and settlement process needed improved clarity as well, he said.

The SECC will not considering continuous trading right now. The time for such developments is “not right”, Ming Bankosal said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Don Weinland at [email protected]