A representative of Australia-based CIMIC Group expressed satisfaction with the investment climate in Cambodia, citing it as investor-friendly. He singled out Cambodia’s labour force for particular praise describing the Kingdom’s workers as “motivated and easily trainable in new skills”.
Robert Seidler, a board member of CIMIC Group, met with Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), who is currently leading a Cambodian delegation on an Investment Roadshow tour of Australia.
The meeting took place on the morning of August 25, in Sydney.
The meeting was also attended by the Cambodian ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, senior officials from several Cambodian ministries and institutions, and representatives from Cambodia’s private sector, as well as Derel Yip, Australian ambassador to Cambodia.
At the beginning of the meeting, Seidler provided an update on CIMIC Group’s business activities in Cambodia, which he said were progressing well. He also mentioned plans to expand its investments in Cambodia, driven by strong confidence in the Cambodian government’s leadership.
“Our company is pleased with the improvements in Cambodia’s investment environment, which has made it easier to invest and do business. Cambodia’s labour force is highly competitive, proactive and open to learning new skills,” said Seidler.
Chanthol shared Cambodia’s policies and government plans aimed at encouraging investment and business activity in the Kingdom.
On the same morning, Chanthol also met with Morgan Hart, CEO of Renaissance Minerals (Cambodia) Ltd, a mining company which is active in Cambodia, and John Hopkins, executive director of Export Finance Australia (EFA), the Australian government’s export credit agency.
According to the CDC, the investment roadshow is part of Cambodia’s effort to attract and boost foreign investment by promoting its current investment climate and economic potential. The mission was supported by the Australian embassy in Cambodia and the Cambodia-Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development (CAPRED).
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), told The Post on August 25 that Australia is a key target for Cambodia’s investment promotion efforts. In 2023, the CCC opened two representative offices in Australia — one in Melbourne and another in Sydney — to help share information and attract more Australian investors to Cambodia.
“We expect that more Australian investors will enter Cambodia. Currently, they are investing in sectors like mining, industry and agriculture,” said Heng.
According to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), in the first half of 2025, trade volume between Cambodia and Australia reached $161.25 million, up 15.7% over the first half of 2024. Exports amounted to $111.95 million, an increase of 8.9%, while imports totalled $49.3 million, a significant rise of 46.8%.
