Phnom Penh: Samdech Thibault Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, has instructed relevant ministries and institutions to review and reduce duplication of procedures that lead to obstruction, waste of time and cost.
The above instructions of Samdech Techo Hun Manet were made during a meeting with civil servants, staff, workers, and employees of the Preah Sihanouk Autonomous Port on the occasion of celebrating the 140th anniversary of International Workers’ Day on May 1, 2026 under the theme “Together to Build Wealth for Decent Work” and the 30th anniversary of Japan’s official development assistance for the Preah Sihanouk Autonomous Port (1996-2026) on May 1, 2026.
In that, the King highlighted the new policy that he had just signed, agreeing in principle to review environmental pollution for certain companies and factories in special economic zones without the need for additional procedures with the Ministry of Environment, giving the special economic zone as the guarantor and responsibility.
The King believed that this reduction in the Ministry of Environment’s procedures would help reduce the workload of some environmental officials and also save time and money.
The King explained that in each special economic zone, before a license is issued, a Master Plan or blueprint must be followed that specifies environmental management, such as the case of toxic waste. Therefore, if a company enters those economic zones, it must request another EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), which is time-consuming and expensive.
Samdech Thip Dei Hun Manet said, “I have agreed in principle for companies entering an economic zone that has a clear Master Plan that goes through “It’s not a special economic zone, just a name without a license. The zone is already a guarantor. So when entering, for a type of factory that does not affect the environment at high risk, there is no need to do an EIA again. Let the special economic zone take responsibility.”
In addition, the Prime Minister believes that doing this has helped companies or factories not feel complicated by eliminating overlaps and reducing time and costs. However, there is still a responsible party, the special economic zone, while the Ministry of Environment has the right to inspect at any time.
