Information minister Neth Pheaktra, who chairs the Alcohol Control Working Group (ACWG), discusses alcohol advertising regulations with stakeholders on March 19. Supplied
Cambodia has a total of 140,710 billboards across the country, with 17 companies providing advertising services in three formats.
“Approximately 120,000 advertising hoardings have been placed in front of shops and homes, in public spaces and along roadsides,” said Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, who also chairs the Alcohol Control Working Group (ACWG).
Pheaktra reported the figures during a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and other relevant stakeholders on March 19.
The meeting focused on managing the advertising of alcohol products and billboards, with a view to maintaining public order.
According to the information ministry, approximately $440 million was spent on advertising hoardings and billboards in 2024, with $280 million allocated to non-alcoholic products and $160 million to alcoholic beverages.
Speaking at a workshop on alcohol advertising controls and the “Goodwill” campaign in October last year, Pheaktra noted that Cambodia’s beer market has seen significant growth, contributing to economic development. However, beer sales have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Cambodia currently has seven major breweries — five locally owned and two foreign-owned.
“The alcohol industry has contributed to Cambodia’s national economic growth and job sustainability and will continue to expand. In 2023, the Cambodian beer market was valued at approximately $1.1 billion and is projected to reach $2.2 trillion by 2032, with an annual growth rate of 8.19 per cent,” Pheaktra said.
He added that the country’s beer demand is around 1.1 billion litres annually, 98 per cent of it coming from domestic production, based on calculations by the General Department of Taxation and the General Department of Customs and Excise in 2023.
To enhance order and regulate advertising, the ACWG plays a strategic role in overseeing implementation mechanisms, setting technical standards and enforcing legal measures to ensure consumer protection and fair competition.
Furthermore, the working group is responsible for regulating alcohol advertising across all media platforms to promote aesthetics and strengthen public safety and order.
“The directive from the Head of the Royal Government aims to improve public order by controlling alcohol advertising — particularly billboards and posters — so that it aligns with regulations and encourages responsible advertising practices,” Pheaktra stated.
During the October seminar, he officially launched the management of alcohol advertising and the “Goodwill” campaign.
The “Goodwill” campaign seeks to reshape alcohol advertising behaviour by replacing conventional commercial messages with educational content.
Large billboards in public spaces will prioritise public awareness messages, with product images reduced in size and positioned below the educational content.
