The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Friday discussed the master plan to develop the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS), the Kingdom’s largest seaport, into a regional port and logistics centre.
The meeting was presided over by Peng Ponea, Minister of MPWT and Sanjo Akihito, Director General of the Infrastructure Development and Management Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, in Phnom Penh.
During his remarks, the MPWT Minister said that the meeting was convened to prepare a master plan for transforming PAS into a regional port and logistics centre. “This initiative is designed to expand Cambodia’s logistics system, enhancing both its capacity and quality,” he added.
Ponea further explained that the goal is to significantly increase PAS’s operational capacity and service offerings, making it more robust and efficient. “This will help lower transportation costs and strengthen its competitive edge against major regional ports.”
He added that these efforts would contribute to the development of the national economy, aligning with the vision of transforming Cambodia into a high-income country by 2050.
A day earlier, Heng Nan, Secretary of State of MPWT, also held a meeting with Akihito and the JICA technical team to discuss the preparation of the master plan for this project, focusing on its strategic development and implementation procedure.
According to the MPWT announcement, this meeting marked the first gathering to review the results of JICA’s detailed planning survey, which outlines the roadmap for the development of the master plan aimed at transforming PAS into a regional port and logistics hub.
The master plan was approved by the Japanese government for inclusion in the technical cooperation programme in fiscal year 2025, marking a significant step towards advancing the development of the regional port and logistics hub.
Based on the MPWT’s annual report released on January 22, PAS handled approximately 9.60 million tonnes of containerised cargo in 2024, a 21.67 percent increase from the previous year’s total of 7.89 million tonnes, the report revealed at the ministry’s annual meeting.
This annual report further highlighted that Cambodia’s largest seaport experienced a 24.12 percent increase in net profit, reaching approximately $110.38 million, a significant rise from $88.94 million in 2023, reflecting strong growth and performance.
