Workshops for the MSME Provincial Investment Promotion project

The USAID Cambodia MSME Project improves the performance of firms, supports public-private dialogue and strengthens the public sector through targeted technical assistance. The project has geographic coverage of twelve provinces in Cambodia including Battambang, Siem Reap, Prey Veng, Kandal, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Kampot, Pursat, Kampong Speu, Takeo, and Svay Rieng.

Under the project’s activities, and as a follow-up to the provincial investment profiles, Provincial Investment Promotion commenced in March 2008 to explore how Cambodia’s provinces can better promote and facilitate business investments and build the capacity of key public and private sector stakeholders to improve provincial business enabling environments.

Currently, the Cambodia MSME Project is organizing the Launch Workshops for the MSME Provincial Investment Promotion project in Svay Rieng on 23rd June 2009 (Chne Tonle Meeting Hall) and Kampong Cham on 25th June 2009 (Phnom Pros Hotel).

To test the relevance and effectiveness of the proposed approach to developing investment promotion strategies in Cambodia’s provinces, a pilot exercise is first being implemented in two provinces – Svay
Rieng and Kampong Cham. A Pilot Project, being carried out from March-September 2009, includes: (a) the development of a comprehensive set of investment promotion capacity-building materials tailored to the two provinces; (b) the implementation of a mix of training activities (covering around five days of training over the time period), exposure visits, investor visits, investment matchmaking, and border crossings; and (c) the preparation of a provincial investment promotion strategy and related activities.