Cambodia, leading Prince Rannaridh to flee the country. These events led to a certain delay in the admission of Cambodia as member of the ASEAN. Facing land disputes and government waste in a booming economy Keat Chhon became Senior Minister, Minister of Economy and Finance from 2004 to 2008 and since 2008 he has been the Deputy Prime of the Minister for the Minister of Economy and Finance. In that position, despite the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, he had to face the growing number of land disputes, in which his own sister was directly involved, and the need to reduce government waste, through more transparency. While the economic growth was real, the government replied to accusations of leaving aside the poor by increasing government social welfare programs, while still continuing land evictions from shanty towns in order to develop new neighbourhoods. The economic boom also entailed a rise in prices, such as gas, which the government tried to control, while Keat Chhon was accused in September 2011 of trying to shut down foreign NGOs interfering in Cambodian politics. That same year, after many delays since 2007, Keat Chhon also opened the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX). Retirement Along with two other long-serving ministers—Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Minister of Land Management Im Chhun Lim, Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon retired in March 2016 out of old age. Family He is married to Lay Neari and has two children. Legacy Reforming the banking sector in Cambodia From 1996 to 2002, as Minister of Economy and Finance, Keat Chhon led a dramatic reform of the banking sector in Cambodia "to support the flight to quality of the banking system". These "impressive performances" led to the dispersion of many actors of the hypertrophied banking sector; three quarters of the banks operating in Cambodia in 1996 had their licenses revoked or had left voluntarily. Resisting to the 1997 Asian financial crisis After the Cambodian economy, as other Asian economies, had suffered from the financial crisis of 1997 and experienced economic downturn, Keat Chhon was able to see signs of restored confidence and recovery through consumer confidence encouraged by adequate policies and measures with the assistance of the international community and especially of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It was a particular effort of Cambodian diplomacy to negotiate this help after the 1997 Cambodian coup d'état in order to solve what Keat