Cambodia plans to cooperate with Japan to build a SEZ in Sihanoukville

The inter-ministerial delegation and the Japanese delegation discussed the study project and the establishment of the Cambodia-Japan Special Economic Zone, a large special economic zone in Sihanoukville, which was established to encourage Japanese investors to return and invest in Cambodia.

The meeting was held on December 25, chaired by H.E. Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister, First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, and a delegation from Japan led by H.E. UENO Atsushi, Ambassador of Japan to Cambodia.

The meeting was also attended by His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction, His Excellency the Minister of Mines and Energy, His Excellency the Minister of Public Works and Transport, His Excellency Lok Chumteav, leaders of relevant ministries and agencies, and representatives of JICA in Cambodia.

The meeting focused on two major tasks, including: (1) the expansion of the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port to become the Regional Port; and (2) the study and preparation of the Cambodia-Japan Special Economic Zone, a special economic zone created to encourage more Japanese investors to invest in Cambodia.

The meeting also discussed the Comprehensive Intermodal Transport and Logistics Master Plan 2023–2033 (CIT-MP), which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Supreme National Economic Council with the support of key development partners.

This master plan is designed by combining seven main master plans to be coherent and interconnected to facilitate the transportation of goods, passengers, and services within the country, the region, and the world.

It should be informed that on December 22, the construction project of the first phase of the deep water container port worth more than US$243 million in Sihanoukville Autonomous Port was started.

The project is being built by the Japanese company TOA Corporation and is technically supervised by Nippon Koei and Oriental_Consultants Global. It has a construction period of 36 months and is scheduled for completion in 2026.

New Deep Water Container Terminal: The first step is 350 meters long, and the construction depth is 14.5 meters. Once completed, it will have the capacity to accommodate 60,000 tons (or 4,000 TEUs) of container vessels with a transshipment route in the Asia-Pacific region to the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and is expected to increase the total port capacity to 1,250,000 TEUs per year. (←Click to read more)