Cambodia: plans to complete 400 unfinished buildings in Sihanoukville

Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Administration seeks to revive 400 unfinished buildings left by Chinese investors.

Cambodia.- Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration wants to complete nearly 400 unfinished buildings in Sihanoukville. Many of them were abandoned by Chinese investors due to the 2019 online gambling ban and the Covid-19 impact.

According to the Khmer Times, there are local and international investors interested in repurposing the structures for accommodations and offices. However, the government’s package to resolve the crisis has spurred discussions, emphasising out-of-court settlements and incentives for developers and landowners.

Concurrently, plans to transform Preah Sihanouk into a multi-purpose Special Economic Zone (SEZ), supported by China’s Urban Planning and Design Institute of Shenzhen (UPDIS), are gaining momentum. The SEZ aims to elevate the city’s status as a major economic hub in Southeast Asia, with experts predicting it will boost Cambodia’s position as a regional manufacturing leader.

The province’s future development envisions a population surge to one million residents. The Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, backed by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is to be completed in 2025.