PHNOM PENH: The Royal Government is pouring an estimated $400 million into 11 strategically significant investment projects across Cambodia’s northeastern provinces, a major push aimed at boosting the region’s economy and creating an estimated 800 new jobs.
The investment is part of the government’s special program to promote development in the resource-rich provinces of Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakkiri, and Mondulkiri. As of October 31, 2025, the region has attracted 21 investment proposals totaling about $700 million in capital.
The 11 projects receiving special government incentives were reviewed at a meeting chaired by H.E. Dr. Hean Sahib, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Chairman of the Investment Promotion Working Group for Preah Sihanouk.
A cornerstone of the new investment is a single project in Kratie province—a multipurpose port and related infrastructure—with an estimated investment of $350 million. This facility is expected to become the first multi-purpose port in the northeastern region.
Dr. Hean Sahib emphasized the port’s critical role in regional trade, stating it “will play an important role in increasing water transport capacity and transforming the region into a logistics center for transporting agricultural and industrial products.” Crucially, he added, it will also connect with the logistics system of the future Funan Techo Canal.
The approved projects are diverse, covering various sectors to build a sustainable local economy. They are distributed across the four provinces as 04 projects in Kratie, including the major port and infrastructure venture, a project in Stung Treng, 04 projects in Ratanakkiri and 02 projects in Mondulkiri.
The sectors include agricultural production and processing, agro-industrial crop cultivation and processing, hospitality (hotel-resort construction), establishment of educational institutions, private healthcare and construction of transportation infrastructure.
The surge in interest is coming from a mix of new and existing investors, including those from China, Japan, and Vietnam, as well as local investors, all keen to capitalize on the unique benefits offered by the special program.
Dr. Hean Sahib concluded the meeting by reiterating the Prime Minister’s firm guidance for the working group and provincial investment sub-committees: act as “problem solvers,” not “problem makers.”
He instructed the teams to regularly visit investment sites, engage with investors, actively listen to their challenges, and quickly find suitable solutions to facilitate the smooth implementation of all projects.