Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, who is currently visiting the US heading a Cambodian delegation comprising officials and members of the private sector, has urged leading cloth-makers Levi Strauss & Co to explore the possibility of investment to expand its production scope in Cambodia.
Levi Strauss & Co, well-known for their Levi’s jeans and jackets across the world, has been sourcing products from Cambodia since 1999 and has also supported the International Labour Organization’s (ILO’s) Better Factories Cambodia programme to improve the well-being of Cambodian garment workers.
According to an official statement, Chanthol, who is also the First Vice President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), met with Jeff Hogue, Director of Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co and his team to probe the company’s plans for Cambodia on Monday afternoon.
While welcoming the Cambodian delegation, Hogue informed Chanthol and other members about his company’s background and requirements such as the availability of clean energy which form the basis for a decision to expand its business. The company promotes sustainable development across the world.
Regarding this, the Deputy Prime Minister explained in detail the efforts of the Cambodian government to promote green energy. Currently, 62 percent of electricity consumed in Cambodia comes from green or renewable sources and the government is planning to increase this to 70 percent by the end of this decade.
The Deputy Prime Minister encouraged the company to explore the possibility of investments to expand its production scope in Cambodia through CDC which is the coordinating government agency for investments in Cambodia.
The Royal Government, led by Prime Minister Hun Manet, is also keen on providing a good investment environment for businesses in Cambodia through various policies and incentives, he said.
Chanthol is now on a visit to the US and Canada, leading a Cambodian delegation of various ministries, institutions and the private sector to meet top-ranking officials and business leaders as part of a campaign to create awareness across the world about Cambodia’s investment-friendly and business-friendly economic policies.
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Apart from meeting officials from Levi Strauss & Co, the Cambodian delegation in the last several days met with several other US business groups and even finalized an MoU to export Cambodia’s rice to the American market.
Levi Strauss & Co has supported several initiatives in Cambodia including the establishment of the Arbitration Council Foundation of Cambodia. The Arbitration Council was created to resolve labour and business disputes. The Council has played a key role in the peaceful resolution of over 900 disputes so far.
The company has also worked closely with CARE Cambodia to address worker health and welfare issues through funding and participation in the ‘Sewing for a Brighter Future’ initiative, which has reached several thousand workers in Cambodia since it began.
It may also be noted that the US continued to be the biggest export destination of Cambodia with shipments reaching $6.7 billion in the January to August period this year which accounts for 38.4 percent of Cambodia’s total exports.
In the first eight months of 2024, Cambodia’s exports to the US, a good chunk of which is constituted by garments, footwear and travel goods (GFT), increased by 10.4 percent, showed the latest trade data of Cambodia’s General Department of Customs and Excise.
(Source: khmertimeskh)