PHNOM PENH, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's construction sector had attracted a total investment of 7.2 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of 2016, up 404 percent compared to the same period last year, said a government report on Tuesday.
The report released by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC) showed that the kingdom had provided licenses to 1,753 construction projects during the January-August period this year.
However, in August alone, the investment in construction projects declined to 109 million U.S. dollars, a 79-percent drop from 531 million U.S. dollars in August last year, it said.
Construction projects included condominiums, residential units, shopping malls, commercial buildings, hotels and factories.
MLMUPC's Undersecretary of State Lao Tip Seiha said that from 2000 to August 2016, foreign investors had ventured into 284 construction projects worth 4.28 billion U.S. dollars.
"China is ranked No. 1, followed by South Korea and Japan, among foreign investors from 18 countries and regions," he said in the report.
Construction is one of the four pillars supporting the economy.
To date, the Southeast Asian nation has 724 high-rise buildings and 146 locations of new towns and residential complexes, the report said, adding that most of them are situated in the capital Phnom Penh.
