Kong Sithisak, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, recently highlighted efforts to enhance officials’ soft and hard skills in a bid to foster greater efficiency, as she noted a significant growth in Cambodia’s trade volume.
Sithisak was speaking at a recent consultative workshop on “Business Strategic Plan 2024-2028”, where she touted a significant 9.1 per cent growth in the Kingdom’s trade volume for 2022. She said that compared to 2021, Cambodia’s trade volume had risen by 9.1 per cent, with exports valuing at $22.48 billion, up 16 per cent, and imports at $29.94 billion, a 4 per cent increase.
The workshop drew attendance from 79 individuals representing both the ministry and the private sector. The event’s purpose was to gather recommendations and insights for a scientific roadmap geared towards bolstering the capacities of civil servants, both in terms of human resources and skill sets at the national and international levels.
“Through this workshop, we outlined the five-year strategic plan (2024-28) for the Trade Training and Research Institute. We’ve delineated short, medium and long-term measures to empower officials and staff with comprehensive, efficient, and high-quality soft and hard skills,” she said.
Emphasising the importance of unified objectives, Sithisak highlighted the ministry’s commitment to reaching the institute’s set goals.
Hong Vannak, an economics researcher at the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, underscored the significance of enhancing officials’ competencies. He stressed the need for the ministry to stay abreast of societal and global developments, aligning officials’ capabilities with the technological era.
“Simultaneously with boosting officials’ skills, the ministry must explore partnerships with other nations to invigorate the Cambodian trade market. Additionally, regional and global studies are imperative to monitor advancements,” he added.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), stressed the critical role of training human resources to remain competitive within the global economy. He noted that the ministry should concentrate on generating fresh markets through further free trade agreements and comprehensive economic pacts to ensure the sustainability of Cambodian trade.
