Malaysian business group BSJ will open a new business park next month alongside Route

4, from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. The park, 15km southwest of the city, will provide

industrial units for domestic and international companies, offering low start-up

costs which they hope could attract more foreign investors.

The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Commerce, Khek Ravy, unveiled a model

of the park at a press launch. He expressed his support for the venture, believing

it could serve as a "good model" for the future. The possibility of widening

Route 4 into a four-lane highway and other infrastructure improvements would reduce

industrial costs for manufacturers.

It is expected that most businesses using the new facilities will be export-led,

taking advantage of good communications to the port of Sihanoukville.

However, Eric Lim of BSJ in Singapore speculated that purpose-built industrial facilities

will stimulate production of goods for the domestic market. With an initial down

payment from as little as $4000, the park has the potential to attract local companies.

The BSJ Business Park is 51 percent Cambodian owned, in line with Cambodian law on

equity ownership. Neither Mr Ravy nor company officials would identify the major

Cambodian shareholders.