PHNOM PENH, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has mined 20 tonnes of gold dore bars over the past five years, according to a senior official.
"Since gold extraction began in June 2021, Cambodia has produced approximately 20 tonnes of gold dore bars," Ung Dipola, director general of the General Department of Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said during a press briefing on Sunday.
The ministry reported that seven companies are currently licensed to refine gold in Mondulkiri, Kratie, Preah Vihear, and Kampong Thom provinces.
Thong Mengdavid, deputy director of the China-ASEAN Studies Center at the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said the rising gold extraction volume reflected Cambodia's definitive transition from informal panning to a regulated, industrial mining economy.
"While the resulting revenues are a welcome new fiscal cushion for the state treasury, they remain a modest contributor compared to Cambodia's foundational pillars like garments and tourism," he told Xinhua on Tuesday.
Moving forward, Mengdavid said the sector's prospects depend on domestic value-addition, such as local refining and strict governance.
"The real measure of success for this boom won't just be the volume of gold extracted, but how effectively the state enforces environmental safeguards to ensure these economic gains don't come at the expense of local communities, biodiversity, and inclusiveness," he said. ■
