Phnom Penh: Minister of Mines and Energy, Mr. Keo Rattanak, said that the Cambodian Stone Processing Association must strive to process stone into products that are used from Khmer identity to have higher value.
At the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Cambodian Stone Association for the first term on June 24, 2026, Mr. Keo Ratanak said that from 2022 to early 2026, royalties from the stone industry to the national budget were approximately 40 million baht (excluding taxes and other levies).
He said that the priority plan is to create added value through the diversification of stone products, find additional overseas markets, and manage this sector by considering the environment, safety, benefits, and training skills for Cambodian workers.
The Minister stated that “So, stone products must be processed to create more added value. I want the association to create a group to work with Cambodian artists, to talk with carvers to become Cambodian artists. Those who are skilled in carving, which turns our stone into a high-value-added product to supply the domestic market as well as export.”
The Minister also asked stone professionals to look at the stone industry not only as a processing for export, but also to work hard to add more value to processed products that are the identity of Cambodia to contribute to supporting the tourism sector.
Please note that stone is a type of natural construction stone that is cut from mountains or quarried from the ground in the form of large blocks and then cut into sheets, slabs or small pieces. This type of stone is widely used for construction work, decoration such as corollas, walls, and making furniture and other sculptures.
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