New Law Allows More Foreign Workers Amid High Labour Demand in Construction Sector

• 28 August 2020
• Local News
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Photo: the print.in

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training announced in a Prakas that companies are now allowed to employ more foreign workers if they cannot find enough local staff, amid a high demand for labour in the construction sector.

According to the Prakas published on 14 August 2020, companies are now permitted to hire foreign workers of a greater number than the legal standard of 10% of total employees. It said firms are required to submit a request letter if they wish to employ more foreign nationals.

Under the current law, firms can employ foreign nationals to a limit of no more than 10% of all employees.

Speaking with Construction & Property Magazine, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training HE Heng Sour said the Prakas is in response to market demand.

HE Heng Sour said that currently there is a shortage of workers in the construction, agriculture, as well as night entertainment sectors. However, he could not provide precise numbers of the required workers.

The construction sector in Cambodia has seen rapid growth in the past decade through significant investments. According to figures from the Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC), during the first six months of 2020, over 2,500 investment projects worth around US$3.8 billion were approved.

With Chinese firms leading the investment, according to the same report, the sector employs more than 170,000 people across the country each day.

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