Cambodia's Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (hereinafter referred to as the "Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone"), which has been jointly built by Chinese and Cambodian enterprises for more than 10 years, is currently the largest and most employed special economic zone in Cambodia, creating nearly 30,000 jobs and driving the rapid economic development of Sihanoukville Province. In 2020, in the face of the test of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Westport Special Economic Zone not only ensured zero infection of personnel in the region, but also achieved a contrarian growth in the total import and export volume of enterprises in the region throughout the year, making positive contributions to the local economic and social development.
Epidemic prevention and production are grasped with both hands
Total trade increased significantly
In the early morning, the wind and the sun are beautiful, cambodian female workers hum songs, arm in arm, and walk into the factory in groups of three or five. "During the epidemic, many people lost their jobs, and because I worked in the park, I was lucky to keep my job. Now the efficiency of the factory has been restored, and some people have also raised their wages. Ah Qing, who works in human resources and translation in the park, smiled shyly. Since joining the Westport Special Administrative Region in 2015, A-Qing has seen rows of factories rise up along the spacious Hun Sen Avenue, and he has grown from a front-line worker to an administrative manager.
In Suzhou Yunying Textile (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., where Ah Qing works, nearly 100 Cambodian workers are busy in the sewing and inspection workshop. Workshop Director Mara is Cambodian. He told reporters that after the outbreak of the epidemic, the company's order volume has declined, and the efficiency has been damaged, but the workers are still paid a basic salary to ensure their normal life. Since May last year, the company's order volume has gradually rebounded, and production has gradually returned to pre-epidemic levels. Mara's wife and sister also work here. "In recent years, our family's life has become better and better, we bought a motorcycle, and we plan to buy a house."
Located in Sihanoukville Province in southwestern Cambodia, the Westport Special Zone is one of the first six overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in China jointly developed and constructed by China and Cambodia, and is also one of the landmark projects of the "Belt and Road". Up to now, 166 enterprises from China, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States and other countries and regions have settled in the Westport Special Zone, creating nearly 30,000 local jobs.
In 2020, in the face of the severe challenges of the epidemic, the Westport Special Administrative Region handed over an eye-catching report card. Cambodian customs data show that last year, the total import and export container volume of the Westport Special Zone was 44325 TEUs, an increase of 27.42% over the previous year; the total import and export volume was 1.565 billion US dollars, an increase of 26.52% over the previous year. "This has played a positive role in stabilizing the employment of local employees and promoting economic and social development." Chemonil, director of the project planning department of the Cambodian Civil Society Organization Alliance Forum, said.
In the view of Cao Jianjiang, general manager of the Xigang Special Economic Zone Company, the total import and export volume of the Xigang Special Economic Zone last year achieved a significant increase against the trend, and "proper epidemic prevention and control is the basic premise". We should pay close attention to epidemic prevention, ensure production, and stabilize employment, and promote it layer by layer. Xigang Special Economic Zone Company has set up a prevention and control emergency response team, jointly with enterprises in the area to take strict prevention and control measures, and at the same time give play to the role of the Xigang Special Economic Zone Community Health Service Center, and link up with the Sihanoukville provincial government and hospitals to form a joint force for prevention and control. In addition, the Westport Special Economic Zone Company insists on regular disinfection of all public places in the region, insists on measuring the temperature of people entering and leaving on a daily basis, and implements epidemic prevention measures in place.
Provide one-stop window service
Help new enterprises to smoothly put into production
In February last year, Huaer Company, a Chinese-funded company that mainly produces sports socks, officially started production in the Westport Special Zone. In the first month of construction, the company's production capacity reached 400,000 pairs. In March this year, the company expanded its production scale with a view to reaching a monthly production capacity of 1.3 million pairs. Hong Bifang, head of the site of Huaer Company, said that the preferential tax policy, perfect supporting facilities and simple and efficient settlement procedures of the Westport Special Economic Zone have created a good development environment for enterprises. "As a newly settled enterprise, we can put into production as soon as possible and continuously expand the scale of production in a short period of time, thanks to the Great Coordination Work done by the Westport Special Economic Zone Company."
Aidc Trading Co., Ltd. ("AIDC"), whose parent company is based in Laos, is mainly engaged in nut production. After entering the Xigang Special Economic Zone in February last year, due to the epidemic, the company's production and sales have encountered difficulties. "Fortunately, the Westport Special Administrative Region plays the role of a 'one-stop' administrative service window." Aidc's head of transport and trade, Te Lin Heng, recalled that the "one-stop" administrative service window provided great convenience for new entrants to the park, "We can find representatives of various government departments in Cambodia without leaving home and complete a series of administrative procedures." With the help of the Westport Special Zone Company, we successfully put into production in September last year. ”
Affected by the epidemic, some enterprises in the park are facing the problem of fracture of the supply chain of raw and auxiliary materials. The Xigang Special Economic Zone Company actively coordinates enterprises in the zone to help each other and adjust the remaining vacancies, and at the same time actively reflects to the relevant government departments of Cambodia and China, requesting coordination with the competent departments of commodity inspection, customs, logistics and other competent departments to open up green channels. With the joint efforts of all parties, 12 newly settled enterprises were able to be put into production smoothly.
"The Xigang Special Economic Zone grasped epidemic prevention on the one hand and ensured production on the other, and withstood the pressure of the epidemic. Most of the newly settled enterprises last year have been realized or are close to production, which has injected vitality into the development of the Westport Special Economic Zone. Chemonil said.
Promote the construction of the 2.0 upgrade version
Optimize the production and operation environment
According to reports, while grasping epidemic prevention and ensuring production, the Xigang Special Economic Zone is steadily promoting the construction of the upgraded version of the special zone 2.0.
Today, the high-voltage substation with an installed capacity of 50 MW in the zone is operating normally, which greatly improves the power supply capacity and power supply stability in the zone; the main construction of the thermal power plant has been completed, the second phase of the water plant is accelerating construction, and the first phase of 6 staff dormitory buildings has been completed and put into use; the Westport Special Economic Zone Company has also vigorously promoted industrial investment, optimized the supporting capacity of the industrial chain in the zone, and strived to improve the production and operation environment of "attracting, retaining and developing well". In November last year, TGH, which mainly produces metal products, leased nearly 40,000 square meters of land, planned to build two factories and an office building, which is expected to be completed and put into operation in April this year, when the number of jobs created will increase to more than 600.
"It is not easy to expand production capacity against the trend, but the excellent epidemic prevention work and perfect infrastructure facilities in the Westport Special Economic Zone have provided us with the possibility of expanding the scale of our business." Cao Zhixiang, general manager of TGH, sighed.
Chen Jiangang, chairman of Xigang Special Economic Zone, said: "Xigang Special Economic Zone's efforts to improve the production and operation environment will not only help local economic and social development and improve people's lives, but also witness the high-quality development of China-Cambodia cooperation."
The Sigang Special Economic Zone has always been regarded as the engine of economic development in Sihanoukville Province, and the achievements in epidemic prevention with zero infection and the development results of production and marketing against the trend have provided strong support for Sihanoukville to maintain stable employment and stable economic and social operation, and have been praised by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen many times.
Looking forward to the future, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister He Namhong said that he hopes that under the framework of jointly building the "Belt and Road" cooperation, the Westport Special Economic Zone will continue to give full play to its advantages in location and policy, and make new contributions to Cambodia's economic and social development and foreign trade.
(Bangkok, April 10, this newspaper)
Author: Zhao Yipu, the newspaper's correspondent in Thailand
Source: People's Daily