Phnom Penh: The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) has approved three new investment projects worth a combined $15-million. All are new garment manufacturing and textile factories and look set to create over 3,000 jobs. The final registration certificates were issued on Tuesday.

J.A.K Garment Co., Ltd. is to build a new garment factory in Kampong Pring Village in Takhmao, Kandal. It has an initial investment of almost $2.5-million and will create just over a thousand new jobs. Takeo Province is also getting a new garment factory. “EM, PRs Premier Tech Garment (Cambodia)” is boasting an investment of almost $4.5-million and looks set to create almost 1,750 jobs. The third new factory is to be built in Russey Keo, Phnom Penh. Chanco Textiles (Cambodia) plans an initial investment of just over $8.2-million, creating 424 jobs.

It’s good news for the local garment manufacturing industry, which has been especially hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Exports have slumped over the past 18 months, although they have started to rise in recent weeks, with the main export markets of the U.S and Europe starting to reopen.