AKP Phnom Penh, January 14, 2026 --

The City of Kitakyushu of Japan on Tuesday signaled plans to expand water supply business operations in Cambodia during talks with Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation H.E. Hem Vanndy, highlighting growing interest from Japanese private companies in Cambodia’s water supply sector.

The Kitakyushu delegation led by H.E. Eguchi Tetsuro, Deputy Mayor of the City of Kitakyushu, comprising officials from the city’s Water and Sewer Bureau, the Kitakyushu Overseas Water Business Association (KOWBA), and representatives of Japanese water and sewerage companies.

During the meeting, Minister Vanndy thanked the City and people of Kitakyushu for their continued support to Cambodia’s water supply sector, noting that the visit coincides with a Cambodia-Japan water and sewer workshop to be held the following day.

“We are pleased to have Kitakyushu bringing many water supply companies to collaborate with Cambodia,” he said. “This sector is essential not only for public health and household consumption, but also for business and economic development.”

The city of Kitakyushu in October 2025 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MISTI and KOWBA, reaffirming cooperation that dates back to 1996.

“This is a strong and steadfast partnership,” he said. “We reiterate our commitment to support Cambodia, and today we commit again to implementing the MoU to deliver tangible outcomes.”

The delegation includes 15 private companies—out of 134 KOWBA members—with expertise ranging from water treatment systems, pumps, pipes, valves, and construction to management systems, disaster preparedness, water-loss reduction, membrane and filtration technologies, and water-treatment chemicals. These technologies will be showcased during the workshop, and several companies with experience in neighbouring countries are exploring expansion into Cambodia.

“Our companies are here for the long term, not for quick profit,” Deputy Mayor Eguchi said. “We want to work with Cambodia for many years and decades to come.”

Minister Vanndy said that despite significant progress achieved through Cambodia-Japan cooperation over the past three decades, a large number of households remain without access to water supply, underscoring the need for further development and investment.

He said MISTI is continuing to strengthen sector reforms and regulatory oversight through nationwide assessments of water operators and stronger enforcement of the Law on Clean Water Management.

AKP-MISTI