Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Talk about a glow-up! ✨ The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) is kicking off 2024 with a bang, reporting a whopping 38.3% increase in trade compared to the same period last year.
In just the first two months, imports and exports through the SSEZ hit a staggering $628 million. That's some serious cash flow! 💰
So what's fueling this epic growth? The SSEZ is a joint venture between Chinese and Cambodian investors and stands as a flagship project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This dynamic duo is proving to be a game-changer for Cambodia's economy. 🌐
The zone operator couldn't be more thrilled, saying, \"The growth indicates that the SSEZ is one of the key catalysts for Cambodia's development.\" And we couldn't agree more! 🙌
Since the start of 2024, the SSEZ has welcomed eight new enterprises, bringing the total to 188. More businesses mean more jobs—over 30,000 and counting! 📈
According to Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center, the SSEZ's prime location near the deep-water Sihanoukville Autonomous Port makes it super convenient for global trade. \"This economic zone has contributed to boosting Cambodia's economic growth and creating a lot of jobs for local people,\" he shared. 🌊
With projects like the SSEZ, Cambodia is well on its way to reaching its ambitious goals of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income nation by 2050. Talk about leveling up! 🚀
Founded in 2008, the 11-square-kilometer SSEZ aims to house up to 300 enterprises and create up to 100,000 jobs. The future's looking bright, and we can't wait to see what's next! 🌟
Stay tuned, world—Cambodia's on the rise, and there's no stopping it now! 🌏🔥
Reference(s):
BRI-backed economic zone in Cambodia reports 38.3% trade growth
cgtn.com
