2022 Cambodia Outlook Conference Kicks Off

The 2022 Cambodia Outlook Conference themed “Revitalising Cambodia: Sustaining Development After COVID-19” kicked off this morning under the presidency of Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.
“Two years have passed since COVID-19 sparked concern among virologists over what has come to be the most significant medical event. Now that the most troubling period of the global pandemic is behind us, the important work of adjusting Cambodia’s course towards pre-COVID levels of growth and development is at hand. The Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) is taking the lead in plotting this path to recovery,” said CDRI’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, H.E. Dr. Mey Kalyan.
Addressing the function, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said to recover and move towards to a sustainable and inclusive development require addressing complex global challenges through cooperation, solidarity and unity in seeking solutions.
“In this spirit, even though we have not opened the discussion and have no specific solution yet, I would like to share that the Kingdom of Cambodia was able to advance rapidly, and to effectively manage the spread of COVID-19 through the introduction of correct and timely policies,” he underlined.
In order to direct the course of socio-economic development in Cambodia, the Premier continued, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has already adopted four phases of the Rectangular Strategy. In each phase, the RGC always identifies “People” as one of the four priorities, namely Road, Water, Electricity, and People. Particularly, from the third phase onward, the RGC has identified “people” as the top priority, by focusing on human resource development, job creation and poverty reduction.
“In fact, Cambodia has created jobs for millions of people, especially in the garment and footwear sector, agriculture and tourism, which have contributed to reducing remarkably poverty from 53.2 percent in 2004 to just 17.8 percent in 2020. At the same time, over the last two decades before COVID-19, Cambodia has achieved a growth rate of more than 7 percent per year, which has changed the status of Cambodia from a least developed country (LDC) to a lower middle-income country in 2015,” he said.
CDRI’s 2022 Cambodia Outlook Conference, bringing together government officials, academics and economic experts from around the world, will provide key stakeholders a platform to address the most pressing issues facing Cambodia in the coming years.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press