Cambodia & Economy : The Minister of Industry calls for support to help small businesses play a catalytic role

H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, has urged the provincial departments linked to his ministry to focus on supporting potential market catalysts that could stimulate local economies.

Small-scale production of cane juice

The Minister made this appeal during his recent visits to departments in the provinces of Stung Treng and Kratie, the Ministry stated in its press release.

During these visits, H.E. Hem Vanndy cited ice factories as a catalyst, stating that the production, packaging and handling of ice to standard would be essential for both consumer safety and the cold chain.

“Measures that could also maximise the potential of fishing and agriculture in the provinces,” he said.

Located along the Mekong River, these two provinces are rich in fishing and agricultural resources. The Minister continued: ’Maintaining a strong cold chain would help to reduce spoilage of products and enable them to reach markets at optimum quality. This would improve marketing opportunities and could boost the economic potential of both provinces.

In Kratié, where more than 700 small local businesses are involved in the production of rice alcohol, the Minister advised the provincial department to create a community to help these producers comply with the standards recently approved by the National Council for Standardisation:

“By complying with these standards, Cambodian rice liquors could gain a competitive advantage in domestic and international markets. This community could also act as a catalyst, supporting farmers and encouraging the processing of value-added by-products.”

Finally, the Minister urged provincial departments to step up their support for these market catalysts to help them meet internationally recognised standards and expand access to regional and global markets. He added that the Ministry was working on programmes to reduce the production costs of these catalysts.