Some 87 factories were given permits in the first three months of the 2023 Royal Gazette, mostly in garments but also for furniture, plastics, electronics, rice, cigarettes and other manufacturing.

According to the gazette’s books No. 1-24, released by the Council of Ministers between June and August, the Mines and Energy Ministry issued 78 permits for gasoline stations, while the Industry Ministry issued 87 factory permits.

Ten of the gasoline stations were also permitted to sell natural gas, while three of them were for inventory, and almost all were Cambodian-owned.

For the factory permits, eight were given to Cambodian representatives and the other 79 to foreign nationals, or about 9.2% Cambodian represented.

Forty-nine garment and related factories — including footwear, belts, bags, sporting equipment, laundering and embroidery — had representatives with the following nationalities: 32 Chinese, five Taiwanese, four Korean, two Cambodian, one Japanese, two Malaysian, one American, one French and one British.

The other 38 factories spanned a range of industries: rice mills, food processing, electrical and electronic equipment, metal processing, gold processing, glass processing, lenses, construction materials, furniture, plywood, plastic, cartons and packaging, printing, car parts, bicycle parts and cigarettes.

By nationality, those other factories were represented by 22 Chinese nationals, six Cambodian, four Japanese, two Korean, two Thai, one American and one Vietnamese.Amid the new permits, labor groups have also been reporting widespread factory suspensions and closures, with labor group Central saying 20,000 workers had lost their jobs from February to July, according to Cambodianess.