Synopsis: Trade pacts have positioned Cambodia as an attractive investment destination.
From January to May, Cambodia approved investment projects worth over $4.2 billion, an increase of 52 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to a report of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), issued yesterday.
According to the CDC, there were 290 registered investment projects, an increase of 137 projects, equivalent to 90 percent.
Of which, the investment capital in the industrial sector was more than $3.6 billion, infrastructure was $558 million, and tourism was $20 million.
China took the lead in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Kingdom, followed by local investors, Vietnamese and Singaporean investors.
In May alone, the CDC registered a total of 59 investment projects with an investment capital of $816 million and could create approximately 44,000 jobs.
The registration of investment projects in May increased by 34 projects, equivalent to approximately 136 percent, while the investment capital increased by approximately $570 million, equivalent to approximately 231 percent.
Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, attributed peace and strong stability to having built a big bold of investors’ confidence in injecting investment in the country.
“The increasing investment flows to Cambodia reflect investors’ confidence in the strong political stability in the country,” he said.
The Cambodian government is working diligently to dismantle and reduce trade barriers, streamline customs procedures, streamline business registration procedures, and create a legal environment with clarity and transparency, he said.
Lim Heng, Vice-President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, stated that Cambodia’s involvement in major trade agreements like RCEP, coupled with preferential trade access to the US and EU markets, has significantly boosted foreign direct investment.
Speaking with Khmer Times, Heng said, “These trade pacts and preference schemes have instilled strong confidence in investors, positioning Cambodia as a highly attractive investment destination in the region.”
Last year, Cambodia attracted 414 fixed-asset investments worth a total investment capital of $6.9 billion, up 40 percent from $4.92 billion in the year before.
