The chief executive officer of ANZ Banking Group said yesterday the bank would take an “opportunistic” approach towards the 36-storey Royal Tower, following reports that the Cambodian conglomerate behind it was still raising capital for the project.

The Royal Group-backed tower is set to be located in Phnom Penh, at the corners of Monivong and Russian Federation Boulevards.

Artist impressions of the proposed tower on The Royal Group’s website prominently display the ANZ Royal logo on the building.

Construction was slated to be completed by mid-2013 with the tower set to be “Phnom Penh’s first Grade A office building by Hong Kong standards,” according to the Royal Group’s website yesterday.

However, media reports from October claimed the Royal Group was still in negotiations with investors in order to complete funding for the project.

ANZ Bank chief executive officer Mike Smith did not reveal any specific plans for building yesterday at a press conference announcing the ANZ Royal Bank’s new logo.

“We’re continuing to look at the opportunities that we have,” the Australia-based CEO Mike Smith. “Within the country, we will continue to build and grow – and if the opportunity arises I’ve no doubt something will happen.”

When asked about a timeline, he said “these things are opportunistic.”

Smith unveiled the new ANZ Royal Bank logo yesterday at the bank’s Cambodian headquarters, which he said brought it into line with the firm’s logos in its other markets.

ANZ Royal Bank is 55 percent owned by ANZ Bank, and 45 percent by the Kingdom’s conglomerate Royal Group.

“I think it’s important symbolic that it ties Cambodia into the group of regional presence that ANZ Group has in 32 countries around the region,” Smith said.

He added the new logo was meant to represent ANZ’s three main locations of businesses, including Australia, New Zealand, and Asia-Pacific.

The unveiling was also attended by Royal Group chairman Kith Meng and ANZ Royal Bank chief executive officer Stephen Higgins.