Pan Sorasak Explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Excellency
Pan Sorasak
Native Name:ប៉ាន សូរស័ក្ដិ
Office:Minister of Commerce
Term Start:2 April 2016
Term End:21 August 2023
Predecessor:Sun Chanthol
Successor:Cham Nimul
Primeminister:Hun Sen
Birth Date:30 October 1955
Birth Place:Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia

Pan Sorasak (Central Khmer: ប៉ាន សូរស័ក្តិ; born 30 October 1955) was Minister of Commerce of the Royal Government of Cambodia from 2016 to 2023. He was re-appointed to this position in September 2018 for the 6th legislature, having served in the same position during the 5th legislature when he was appointed in April 2016.[1] [2] [3]

Career

Since 2008, he was Secretary of State (Vice Minister) at the Ministry of Commerce, and he was responsible for the Strategic Trade Policy and International Trade Cooperation. He also led a task force among others, on the ratification of Cambodia’s Trade Facilitation Agreement for the WTO’s Bali Package (2013-2016).

Under his leadership, the Ministry of Commerce has pushed for the finalization of many draft laws and various amendments including consumer protection, food safety, competition, secured transaction and trade remedy. He is recognized as one of the main drivers of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in SMEs development to increase their competitiveness.

He initiated and led the implementation of the Ministry's ICT Master Plan and Trade Information Website and was responsible for the modernization of the Ministry's ICT infrastructure. Prior to that he initiated the drafting of the E-Commerce Law, the e-Ministry initiative, as well as the creation and standardization of Khmer Unicode script in computers.

Before joining the public sector, Sorasak spent his career in the private sector for 18 years, occupying various senior positions (up to Corporate Vice President) with UNOCAL, an American multinational oil and gas exploration company in the United States, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore and headed its country office in Cambodia. He also worked as a Researcher for the United States Air Force and the Pentagon.

Sorasak has served in a number organizations including as member of the Board of Architects of Cambodia, Vice Chairman of the National Standard Board, the National Statistical Board, National Council of Science & Technology (NCST) and the American Cambodian Business Council (AmCam).

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: H.E. Mr. PAN Sorasak, Minister of Commerce informed Australian Ambassador to Cambodia of Strategic Activities . 9 August 2016 . www.moc.gov.kh . . 2018-12-06.
  2. Web site: Cambodia parliament approves PM's 'healthier' new cabinet . 2016-04-04 . Reuters . . 2018-12-06.
  3. Web site: Cambodia to join Dubai Expo 2020 . 2018-11-26 . Khmer Times . . 2018-12-06.