Phnom Penh (FN), Jun. 29 – Khmer Enterprise, an initiative of the Royal Government aimed at fostering the development of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cambodia on 28 June 2024 signed mutual Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Cambodia Food Manufacture Association (CFMA), the Cambodia Women Entrepreneur Association (CWEA)-Koh Kong, and iDE Cambodia. This collaboration marks the commencement of the “Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fishery” project, a significant step towards improving the lives of those residing in the coastal areas.
The “Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fishery” project is designed to enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of coastal and marine fisheries in Cambodia. It targets the four coastal provinces of Cambodia - Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong, and Preah Sihanouk - with the aim of reversing the sharp decline in fisheries, promoting sustainable mariculture, and enhancing fish landing sites to improve seafood safety. The project anticipates that approximately 40% of the nearshore fishery will be regenerated into a more productive and sustainable fishery, significantly contributing to climate change adaptation.
In addition, the project will stimulate private sector development by empowering coastal communities and small businesses to diversify their livelihoods, adopt sustainable practices, and evolve into viable enterprises. The project is expected to benefit 25 community fisheries (CFi) organizations and members of 15 community protected areas (CPA), encompassing nearly 20,000 households, and a broader coastal community of about 200,000.
Chhieng Vanmunin, the Delegate of the Royal Government serving as the CEO of Khmer Enterprise, stated, “Over the past five years of operation, Khmer Enterprise has evolved into a national platform that fosters entrepreneurship throughout Cambodia. We have been diligently collaborating with ecosystem builders to support our entrepreneurs at all levels, including those at the community level. We are thrilled to embark on this new initiative in partnership with our esteemed collaborators, and we hope that this project will stimulate the creation of more commercial activities and enterprises within Community Fisheries (CFis) and Community Protected Areas (CPAs).”
Khmer Enterprise, for its part, will concentrate on supporting the growth of startups, SMEs, CFis, and CPAs in Cambodia’s coastal area. This will be accomplished through its four core programs: entrepreneurial cultural promotion, entrepreneurial capacity development, business networking, and market and funding. The support will manifest in various forms, including promotional activities, sustainability workshops, business incubation, community business development, market linkage, food safety training, seed funds, and community infrastructure.
Meav Soktry, President of the Cambodia Food Manufacture Association (CFMA), has expressed that “CFMA is thrilled to join hands with Khmer Enterprise as part of the “Sustainable Sea and Coastal Fisheries” project. This collaboration aims to bolster the growth of Community Fisheries (CFis) and Community Protected Areas (CPAs). CFMA is committed to promoting zero-waste food processing, integrating value-added techniques, and fortifying quality assurance measures to meet and exceed standards of sustainability.”
Thong Natsia, President of Cambodia Women Entrepreneur Association (CWEA)-Koh Kong Chapter, expressed that “The CWEA Koh Kong Chapter has a great honour to collaborate with Khmer Enterprise to help promote the business development of small and medium enterprises with female-owned businesses in Koh Kong. The CWEA Koh Kong Chapter, firmly hopes that this partnership will help strengthen the standards in production chains, handicraft businesses, especially the community-produced food sector.
In addition, our association also plans to strengthen the tourism sector in the province to have more potential in line with the principles of Khmer Enterprise, which prioritises partners located near the coastal area.
iDE Cambodia Country Director, Kevin Robbins, proudly shared that, "signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Khmer Enterprise marks a significant milestone for iDE. This MoU paves the way for an exciting collaboration between two organizations with a shared mission and vision to power local entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In particular, this is a great opportunity for our SHE program - which focuses on providing gender-smart support to entrepreneurs through incubation, acceleration, and other initiatives - to partner with Khmer Enterprise in supporting the coastal communities of Cambodia. We appreciate this opportunity to collaborate with Khmer Enterprise and look forward to working hand-in-hand to promote inclusive and resilient development in coastal Cambodia by powering the entrepreneurs in those communities.”
=FRESH NEWS
