The workshop saw the participation of staff from service enterprises and gas stations, as well as students from training institutes and O'Chum High School. Supplied
A September 17 workshop in Ratanakkiri province, titled “Advancing Competitiveness through Productivity and Innovation”, aimed to highlight the government’s continued efforts to strengthen local enterprises and reduce reliance on imported products.
The event, organised by the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation, brought together key stakeholders to address the challenges facing local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and handicraft industries.
Phok Sovannrith, ministry secretary of state, addressed the workshop.
He emphasised the government’s commitment to empowering the private sector, particularly MSMEs and handicraft manufacturers, to become strong, sustainable contributors to the national economy.
He noted that while some critics claimed that local products struggle to compete with the influx of cheaper imported goods, this issue is not the sole factor hindering market competitiveness.
“We acknowledge this problem, but it is not entirely due to this factor. Let all the trainees consider and go back more than 20 years ago, when our country produced virtually no products – we imported almost 100 per cent of them,” he explained.
“But now we produce products such as rice, beverages, construction materials like cement, spices and other consumables. We see that the import of those products has declined, and some have even been exported, though our production costs remain high,” he said.
The “Advancing Competitiveness through Productivity and Innovation” workshop was held in Ratanakkiri province on September 17. Supplied
Sovannrith pointed out that the ministry’s role includes promoting productivity and innovation through training programmes to support MSMEs.
“Our goal is to ensure that these sectors can thrive and adapt to the inconsistent global economic situation,” he added.
During the workshop, Sovannrith urged each of the participants to absorb the knowledge presented and apply it to their own production facilities.
He noted that productivity enhancement is increasingly seen as a key strategy for advancing competitiveness globally and that the Kingdom must follow suit to avoid falling behind.
“Some developing countries have adopted productivity enhancement methods to advance competitiveness. If we do not do the same, our MSMEs will face difficulties, and many may collapse," Sovannrith warned.
Um Seryuth, president of the National Productivity Centre of Cambodia, underscored the workshop's focus on helping MSMEs and handicraft businesses in Ratanakkiri build their capacity to be resilient and sustainable.
The ministry’s role includes promoting productivity and innovation, through training programmes to support MSMEs and handicraft manufacturers. Post staff
He noted that the centre has implemented various strategies to reduce production costs and improve business profitability and competitiveness.
“The National Productivity Centre has adopted effective methods for increasing productivity and innovation to reduce production costs, increase profits and strengthen competitiveness for enterprises in Cambodia’s northeastern provinces,” he said.
The workshop saw the participation of staff from 25 service enterprises and nearly 40 gas stations, as well as around 40 students from training institutes and O'Chum High School, offering a vital step towards equipping young Cambodians with practical knowledge for future careers.
The event also aimed to reinforce the government’s efforts to boost productivity through investments in transport infrastructure, electricity, digital business facilitation and skill-building initiatives, all of which are crucial for Cambodia’s economic growth.
