Cambodia needs about $12 billion over a 10-year period to invest in the development of a skilled workforce and improved infrastructure in order to meet the goals of its Industrial Development Policy (IDP), Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said recently.

While IDP initiatives aim at promoting small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and supporting the growth of heavy industries, the minister said on Friday that Cambodia was moving from labour-intensive industries towards more capital-intensive ones.

He said the country was now beginning to attract large-scale investments, such as automotive assemblers and manufacturers. Sorasak said Cambodia needed more skilled workers and better infrastructure to support this transition.