Manufacturing activity has seen strong growth since November 1 when the government announced the reopening of all categories of businesses, an upturn that the commerce minister and industry players attribute to the success of the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA) president and Ly Ly Food Industry Co Ltd (Lyly Food) owner and CEO Keo Mom said the favourable effects of the jab drive coupled with the near-complete reopening of the economy has led to a steady pick-up in demand for domestic goods.
She told The Post on November 21 that Lyly Food has been up and running since Prime Minister Hun Sen lifted the coronavirus lockdown in the capital, and that production was ramped up significantly following the recent launch of plans for a full economic reopening.
“As the number of new [Covid-19] infections and fatalities decline, and vaccination rates climb, businesses across the country are hoping to move forward and ride a new burst of momentum,” Mom said.
At the virtual 10th ASEAN Economic Ministers- (AEM) Canada Consultations on November 17, Minister of Commerce and ASEAN Economic Minister for Cambodia Pan Sorasak shared that the Kingdom’s Covid jab drive has seen promising gains as of late.
These positive outcomes prompted Cambodia to scrap quarantine requirements for all arrivals who are fully-vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, he said.
However, travellers must still undergo an antigen rapid test and receive a negative result before they can gain entry into the Kingdom.
The consultations were co-chaired by Bruneian Second Minister of Finance and Economy Amin Liew Abdullah and Canadian Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng.
The event was attended by all ASEAN economic ministers, Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) representatives, and the 10-nation bloc’s secretary-general Lim Jock Hoi.
The CABC provided a series of recommendations on further work in promoting business and investment between ASEAN and Canada, the Ministry of Commerce reported.
Views were exchanged on the economic impact from Covid-19 as well as the cooperative action required to reduce the fallout on all peoples and places, address regional supply chain disruptions, and facilitate the flow of essential goods across borders, it said.
Participants highlighted the progress made on carrying out the 2021-2025 Work Plan to Implement the ASEAN-Canada Joint Declaration on Trade and Investment, and the current status of trade policy dialogue and capacity building initiatives under Canada’s Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM), it added.
