PHNOM PENH: During a working meeting with the President of the Japan-Cambodia Association (JCA) and former Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, Takahashi Fumiaki, on Thursday afternoon at Phnom Penh Capital Hall, the Governor of Phnom Penh, Khuong Sreng, asked Japan to invest more in agriculture and other sectors in Cambodia that Japan has previously invested in.
The Governor said that in Cambodia, especially in Phnom Penh, there is great potential in the agricultural sector, especially fish farming and onion cultivation for export to major markets such as China, and Cambodia has already signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Chinese side on the import of agricultural products from Cambodia to the Chinese market. He added that Japan has clear techniques for raising fish for export, including other crops to markets of other countries, so Japan can send investors to study the potential of agriculture in Cambodia.
Regarding the garbage problem in Phnom Penh, Governor Khuong Sreng informed the Japanese guests that this problem has been solved well, as Phnom Penh now has three garbage collection companies that are currently running, increasing the frequency of garbage collection and garbage transportation vehicles in the city. The Governor also mentioned that Japan has provided firetrucks to Phnom Penh based on the city’s needs, in order to respond to fires more efficiently, and especially when they occur in high-rise buildings.
JCA President, Takahashi Fumiaki, expressed the interest of the JCA in assisting the development of Phnom Penh at the request of Governor Khuong Sreng. He emphasized that in 2019, about 200 Japanese investors visited Phnom Penh, and in April after the Khmer New Year, the association intends to bring Japanese investors to visit the capital for a second time to organize a forum to consult and discuss investments in Cambodia.
On the occasion of this meeting, the former Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia handed over a plot of land as a gift to Governor Khuong Srong, which is to be used as a public park to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Japan sending its troops for peacekeeping operations (PKO) to maintain international security and particularly for Japan’s PKO in Cambodia. In response, the Phnom Penh Governor expressed his deep gratitude and promised to manage this land well.
