Commerce Minister Vows ‘Meaningful’ Reforms to US Investors

Cambodian Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol concluded a trade mission in the United States this week, emphasizing his government’s willingness to make “deep” reforms to improve its investment climate. The minister made those comments at a presentation on Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, at the conclusion of a one-week trade mission that also took him to Los Angeles and Seattle. “We carry out these reforms to help investors so that there will be less informal costs, less transportation costs, less energy costs, and [we will] train our people to have better skills,” he said. Sun Chanthol admitted that the new-found political will is attributed to last year’s general election. “If we want to win the election in 2018, to be relevant, you stick to your reform agenda and do it quickly, do it fast, if not, you will not be there. That’s why we understand that we must reform. Without reform, we are going to have a problem in 2018.” (Soeung Sophat, Washington)