Small Enterprises Show Wares at Trade Fair

Small enterprises specializing in locally-made products got a boost over the weekend with the hosting of a Cambodian trade fair in Phnom Penh, which ended on Sunday, officials said.

More than 120 booths were occupied by vendors offering everything from fine Cambodian wine to In­ter­net and educational services at the three-day event organized in Preah Sor­amarith Park opposite Wat Bo­tum.

“I thought that it was a foreign grape wine the first time I tried it with my family members,” said Long Vanna after purchasing a one-liter bottle of Cambodia-made “Rose” wine from Battambang prov­ince.

“It is really high quality, which is why I decided to buy it myself,” Long Vanna said of his $6 purchase.

Wine retailer Pech Ngim said she had done a roaring trade during the fair, racking up more than 300 bottles of wine sold by Sunday lunch­time.

“The trade fair was a really good chance for small enterprises to ex­hibit their products to Cambodian people,” Pech Ngim said, adding that such fairs were also a good popularity test for local products.

Ngav Pheat, 20, lamented that the fair was only a once-in-a-while occasion and not a permanent fixture to showcase local products to Cam­bo­dians and foreigners.

“I would prefer to have more exhibitions,” said Ngav Pheat, who had made several purchases of her own from a stall selling silk bags and intricately woven mats.

“We can promote our own products to foreign countries and remind our own people that Cambodian products are made to a very high quality,” she said.

Organized by the International Labor Organization with funds from German Technical Assistance and in cooperation with the Artisans As­sociation of Cambodia and government ministries, the trade fair was also held in Siem Reap town in Aug­ust and Battambang town in Oct­ober, said ILO National Project Co­ordinator Sok Somith.

Though organizers estimated that some 15,000 people would visit the fair in Phnom Penh, that figure had been trebled by Sunday lunch­time and more than 45,000 visitors had made their way to the events and purchased goods, Sok Somith said.