Phnom
Penh Post reporter Rann Reuy sat down with Chour Chheng, director of Ky Chheng
Protein Foods, to discuss the challenges
of opening a small-to-medium-sized enterprise in Cambodia.
When did you
establish this enterprise, and what products do you process?
The business was established in January, 1999.
Initially, we produced only dry octopus, but later moved on to distribute beef
and pork meat. We also process about five tonnes of mango and papaya each year.
All our products are 100 per cent locally sourced.
What
inspired you to undertake this career path?
When I was younger, my mother made sweets for
children in the neighbourhood. After a couple of years, we worked together and
developed packaging for the confectionary, in order to sell them on the market.
Seeing the success of my product, I was encouraged to go abroad and develop new
techniques in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Were there
many teething problems when the business began, and do you still struggle in
any areas of the process?
There were so many difficulties when we set up
the enterprise. Before we promoted any
of our products, we undertook market research to ensure our products would be a
success. We then had to learn the required techniques to process food to the
correct standard, which was not an easy task. If we are unable to abide by the
many regulations regarding the standard and sanitation of the food, our product
will not sell.
Do any
government policies benefit SMEs?
The government has some good policies to
support SMEs. It doesn’t provide direct financial assistance, but smaller
enterprises are not required to pay taxes, which benefits businesses like ours.
Do you plan
on exporting any of the products you make?
We would like to export, but we feel the time
isn’t right. Foreign companies have stricter demands on sanitation standards,
which makes it difficult for Cambodian companies to ship their products to
other countries. We used to participate in international goods expos, but we
are still waiting to receive a standard certificate to export abroad.
Rann Reuy
The Phnom Penh Post
Business & Investment Opportunities
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