PHNOM PENH, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's construction sector attracted a total investment of 1.81 billion U.S. dollars in the first five months of 2024, down 20.2 percent from 2.27 billion dollars over the same period last year, said an official report released on Monday.
The Southeast Asian nation had provided licenses to 1,330 construction projects during the January-May period this year, also down 9 percent from 1,463 projects over the same period last year, said the report from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.
Those approved construction projects included new towns, housing development, condominiums, industrial and commercial facilities, and tourism resorts and hotels, among others, the report said.
"Although the investment in the construction projects decreased by 20.2 percent in the first five months of 2024, the imports of construction materials increased by 23.1 percent and domestic cement production rose by 4.7 percent to 3.5 million tons, which still indicate the progress in the construction sector," the report said.
The construction and real estate sector is one of the four pillars supporting the country's economy in addition to garment, footwear and travel goods export, tourism, and agriculture. ■
