Cambodia economy to grow 6.9 pct this year, driven by exports – World Bank
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s economy is expected to grow 6.9 per cent this year, compared with a 6.8 per cent in 2017, driven by a recovery in textile exports, tourism and agricultural sectors, the World Bank said yesterday.
The growth rate will ease to 6.7 per cent next year, the bank said, adding that risks include “potential uncertainty” related to the general elections due on July 29.
Cambodia, a top garment-making hub, has been the sixth fastest-growing economy in the world over the past two decades, with average GDP growth rate of 7.6 per cent, according to the World Bank, largely due to garment exports.
“To maintain strong growth, it is essential that Cambodia invests more in education and skills training, while addressing the constraints facing small- and medium businesses,” said Inguna Dobraja, World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia, at a economic report launch in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
The World Bank recommended that authorities closely monitor a construction and real estate boom by developing policies that help to reduce speculative activity in the sector.
Some Western nations and the United Nations have voiced concerns that the July vote might not be free or fair after the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was banned by the country’s Supreme Court at the government’s request last year.