Charity arm of Cambodian conglomerate engages local community as key stakeholders for upcoming 834-ha project

SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA -Media OutReach - 15 February 2021- Prince Charitable Foundation, the charitablearm of Prince Holding Group ('Prince Group'), one of Cambodia's largest andfastest growing conglomerates, has distributed care packages to 500 familiesliving at Ong village in Prey Nob district, Cambodia.The village is situated near the site of the Ream City project, an 834-hectareproject being developed on reclaimed land near the Sihanoukville InternationalAirport that is set to transform the region. The gesture of goodwilltook place last week and senior management from Canopy Sands Development, amember of Prince Group, also took the opportunity to consult local leaders tounderstand the community's needs. The aid campaign atOng Village is the latest environment, social and governance (ESG) initiativeof Prince Group. 

Each care package contained 25 kilograms of rice, one mat,one blanket, two pillows, one mosquito net and one Khmer Krama (traditionalscarves woven in the countryside). It will be the first of many efforts tosupport the local community, especially as Prince Group envisionan important role for residents in the development of the coastal project. Upon completion, Ream City aims tohouse up to 130,000 residents and will potentially bring housing estates,themed shopping malls, schools and hospitals, bringing a boost to the localeconomy.

Prince Group has focused on providing items to helpresidents with their daily needs at a time when rural Cambodians are facingconsiderable economic challenges. "We are serious about engaging with localcommunities and establishing a good relationship with them -- they are key stakeholders forthe Ream City project. Not only do we consider it our duty as a responsiblecorporate actor to provide assistance in these challenging times, we believelocal residents will play an important role as part of our workforce due to thescale of the Ream City project," said Mr.Khong Weng Fook, Managing Director of CanopySands Development. "Currently, about 70locals are employed at the Ream City project. Intime, we will look to impart the necessary skills through upskilling and otherhuman empowerment efforts to further engage local residents for the project."

Over the course of the aid campaign, management fromPrince Group liaised with Mr. Sor Kakada, District Chief for Prey Nob, tobetter understand the needs of residents. They were advised that there is aneed for better healthcare facilities. As Prey Nob is situated outsideSihanoukville, basic medical facilities are not readily available. As such,Prince Group will investigate the feasibility of establishing healthcaredispensaries for the local community.

Ream City will lead to substantial employmentopportunities for Cambodians and support the growth of the SihanoukvilleInternational Airport, which is expected to see its capacity increase from 3.6million passengers to 10 million passengers by the end of the decade. Throughthe distribution of essential aid, Prince Group hopes that a constructive dialoguecan be established between local communities and the developers to ensure aproductive long-term relationship.

Prince Group's ESG strategy has athree-prong focus on healthcare, education andcommunity engagement. Last year,the Group made severallarge-scale donations to help in the fight against the pandemic and assistflood victims in Cambodia. Till date, the Prince Charitable FoundationOrganization has organized more than 240 charitable events and donated fundsand other materials worth more than US$11 million, benefitting more than320,000 people.

About Prince Charitable Foundation Organization

Being dedicated to public charity, advocating corporate duty, andpromoting social harmony and progress, Prince Charitable FoundationOrganization, a member of Prince Holding Group, focuses on social welfareprojects, including municipal development and ecological protection withspecific attention towards helping school dropouts, disabled, and the elderly.With a national mandate, Prince Charitable Foundation was seeded with US$1million by Prince Holding Group, with the sum procured from the sales revenueof properties. It has also attracted a significant amount of donation fromother individuals and organization. Prince Charitable Foundation Organizationhas launched more than 240 charity events, benefiting 320,000 people, withdonations exceeding $11 million.