CAMBODIA’S mining sector should be developed in a “transparent, efficient and sustainable” manner, Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem said Thursday at the close of an international mining conference.

Suy Sem raised “essential points” requiring attention, including eliminating illegal mining operations and further work on extractive industry regulation, as Cambodia’s first extraction conference ended in Phnom Penh.

“Continue to build policy and legal framework needed to ensure transparent, effective and sustainable management of the mining industry,” he urged industry stakeholders.

Private industry is set to provide direct input to the government through the Cambodian Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (CAMEC), its president Richard Stranger told the Post on Thursday, praising the conference as a sign that the Kingdom is serious about development.

He added the association was interested in establishing the legal, financial, environmental, and transparency frameworks.