AMCHAM SINGAPORE MISSION SPURS CORPORATE INTEREST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000348 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR - BISBEE BANGKOK PASS FCS - BACHER SINGAPORE PASS FCS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EINV CB SUBJECT: AMCHAM SINGAPORE MISSION SPURS CORPORATE INTEREST PHNOM PENH 00000348 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: An 18-member delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore led by Ambassador Herbold recently concluded a successful three-day trip to Phnom Penh. Through meetings with government, private sector, and U.S. Embassy officials, mission delegates learned about Cambodia's strong economic growth, political stability, and legal reforms as well as the challenges of widespread corruption, weak rule of law, and poor infrastructure. Several companies came away from the mission with a positive impression and took further steps to establish a presence in Cambodia. The trip and follow-up actions of companies such as Dupont, United Technologies, and General Electric demonstrate growing American investor interest in Cambodia, a rapidly developing country dominated by Asian investors, and highlight the need to help facilitate a more business-friendly environment. End Summary. Bluechip Companies Explore Cambodian Opportunities -------------- -- ¶2. (U) U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Patricia Herbold recently led a delegation of nine companies on a business mission to Cambodia. The delegation, sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore),consisted of American companies in the chemical, agriculture, energy, finance, technology, and consulting industries including Dupont, United Technologies, General Electric, Central Asia Development Group, Pioneer Hi-Bred, P.A.E. Group, Insight InterAsia, and L.E.K. Consulting. Mitsui, a diversified Japanese company, was also included in the delegation by virtue of its AmCham Singapore membership. Government Touts Growth, Stability, Reforms, and Incentives as Reason for Investment -------------- --- ¶3. (U) In separate meetings with the AmCham Singapore delegation, officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC),and the Ministry of Economy and Finance identified sustained economic growth as one reason for growing investor interest in Cambodia. The Cambodian economy grew at 9.8 percent in 2007, and has grown at an average rate of 11 percent since 2004. According to Sok Chenda Sophea, Secretary General of the CDC, economic growth has led to increased investment from Asian countries, but U.S. and other Western investors have lagged behind the trend, accounting for a small fraction of total investment in Cambodia. He said "now is the time" for companies involved in services to come to Cambodia, and that in three to five years many current opportunities will already have been taken. He highlighted projects in agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, and mining as examples of potential investments. ¶4. (U) Government officials echoed members of the American-Cambodian Business Council -- the local version of the American Chamber of Commerce -- in also highlighting political stability, the relatively liberal investment regime, and government support for investors as reason for investment in Cambodia. During a luncheon, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh highlighted the openness of virtually all sectors of the economy to 100 percent foreign ownership. Sitting across from the Ambassador, the minister furthered his point by commenting that the legal profession had been steered in the "right direction," referring to action taken by the Commerce Minister, following intervention by the U.S. Embassy, in a recent dispute wherein the Bar Association of Cambodia apparently tried to restrict participation of foreign lawyers in the local market. Sok Chenda also highlighted the liberal investment regime and noted that the only non-national treatment of foreign investors is that they cannot own land. Corruption a Major Concern for Investors -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Local private sector participants identified corruption as among the biggest obstacles to doing business in Cambodia, and the AmCham Singapore delegation noted their strict adherence to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as a factor which influences their ability to invest overseas. Firth Griffin, Senior Advisor to Mitsui, asked the Minister of Commerce how the government intends to address the corruption issue. In his response, Prasidh identified actions within his ministry to combat corruption by limiting the number of interactions government officials have with businesses through e-services systems, such as the streamlining of customs with the web-based ASYCUDA system. He did not refer to the long-stalled draft anti-corruption legislation which the U.S. and other donors have been pushing for several years. Furthering his points about reforms and the Cambodian investment climate, Prasidh suggested that the delegates read the recently concluded USAID-funded Southeast Asia Commercial, Legal, and Institutional Reform - Trade Diagnostics (SEA CLIR-Trade) report which assesses the current commercial, legal, regulatory, and institutional framework for trade in Cambodia as part of a regional program encompassing five ASEAN countries. PHNOM PENH 00000348 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (U) Jean-Boris Roux, General Manager of RM Asia, an American-owned Cambodian company which manages brands such as Ford, John Deere, 3M, and Swensen's, reported that his company had its "best year ever" in Cambodia but echoed comments of the business community in identifying risks which affect their businesses such as weak rule of law, excessive bureaucracy, undeveloped legal system, poor infrastructure, and undeveloped human resources. Companies Moving Ahead on Investment Plans -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Despite the institutional obstacles, in the end, several AmCham delegates appeared optimistic about Cambodia, and were taking steps to further their interests. -- Dupont Singapore Director of Finance Cher Tong Lim told Econ Assistant that during the mission his team interviewed and hired staff for a new Cambodia representative office; -- Central Asia Development Group Business Manager Michael Lambert told Econ Assistant that his local business partner was close to securing 6,000 hectares of agricultural land while he was working with a delegate from Dupont on potentially financing part of the plantation project; -- United Technologies (UT) President for South Asia and the Pacific Kristin Paulson joined Otis Elevator Managing Director for Vietnam and Cambodia Michael Griffin on a follow-up mission in March to prepare to convert Otis Elevator's representative office into a branch office; -- General Electric's recently hired Cambodian Market Development Director is exploring opportunities discovered through the mission. Comment: ¶8. (U) This business mission conforms to a broader trend of accelerated investor interest in Cambodia, a market currently dominated by Asian investors. U.S. investors are finally becoming aware of opportunities in the Cambodian marketplace. U.S. agencies attuned to this emerging interest are beginning work with the Cambodian government to address obstacles to U.S. investors such as weak rule of law, corruption, excessive bureaucracy, undeveloped legal system, poor infrastructure, and undeveloped human resources. MUSSOMELI