Since its establishment in 2006, Royal Group Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (RGPPSEZ) has transferred the once quiet rice field with very little activity to the current leading industrial complex in which 85 manufacturing companies and 29 non-manufacturing companies are employing more than 43,000 workers.
In 2024, we have had a very good start with an overall export value for January and February being USD 264 million, which is a 5% increase compared to the value in the same period last year. It is expected that we might break our own record again with a total export of USD 2 billion this year.
This is a very special year, and we have a lot to look forward to. One significant event will be the grand opening and start of operation of Toyota Tsusho Manufacturing (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., the assembly plant of the widely and well-known Toyota vehicles; the grand opening and start of operation of Metal Jewelry (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., our first investor from France and first investor in fashion jewelry production sector; and the establishment of our new Special Economic Zone project to fulfill the increased demand for quality industrial facility around Phnom Penh area.
We are in the process of establishing the new Royal Group Kandal Special Economic Zone (RGKSEZ) over the area of approximately 120 ha of land connected to our current RGPPSEZ by a new bridge over the Steung Prek Thnout river which we have finished constructing since 2022. We have already started the soil back filling work, and basic infrastructure will be ready to welcome investment this year. As the demand for expansion is high, approximately 100 ha has been secured by a company currently operating in RGPPSEZ. Once in full operation, this company is expected to generate about 20,000 more jobs for Cambodian people.
Besides the expansion project of the SEZ, we are also committed to various other projects related to environmental protection. Increasing roof top solar panels, upgrading our waste water treatment plant, selling our products from recycled plastic waste and transferring our zone to a Zero Emission SEZ are in our main focus for this year 2024.
It is going to be a busy year for us, and we will keep trying our best to support our customers better and to complete the action plans.