Sihanoukville left out in the cold

via CAAI

17 Nov 2010

Cambodian hub is omitted from listing plans

In a surprising move, government officials in Cambodia have not named the country’s major hub in its role call of national assets likely to list.

Since September 2009, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port has been expected to list, along with the nation's Water Supply Authority and the Telecom Cambodia.

However, Aun Porn Moniroth, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, has named the latter two utilities but not the port as likely to list on the Cambodian Stock Exchange.

Instead he told reporters that the government would list another unspecified enterprise which will be announced later.

Sources at the port were not initially available for comment and government sites made no reference to the omission.

One possible explanation for the delay is that Sihanoukville might be deemed too important to list, or there might be security implications to a listing. Another is that the real port to watch is PPAP, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, which is said to be better linked with growing international trade.