Neak Oknha Chen Zhi Prince Group Cambodia
Neak Oknha Chen Zhi is the Chairman of Prince Holding Group, a fast-growing homegrown conglomerate that has been heavily involved in large-scale growth in many sectors of the Cambodian economy and society.
As he seemingly prefers to keep a low profile, very little is known about him. Because of his tireless efforts, he and his business units have over the recent years contributed greatly to develop Cambodia in the form of project developments and strategic investments.
2020 was a year of global difficulties due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Millions of people have suffered tremendously as a result of the pandemic. Cambodia was not spared from this. On top of it, Cambodia was also hit by a major flood disaster.
Chen Zhi oversaw efforts to assist the Cambodian government in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and assisting flood victims. Since April, Prince Group has made major contributions to the relief effort. Neak Oknha Chen Zhi is likely to be the driving force behind these donation campaigns, including a $3 million donation to the government to buy 1 million Covid-19 vaccines.
In February 2021, Chen Zhi Cambodia announced a related US$3,000,000 donation to aid in anti-pandemic efforts in Cambodia. The cumulative contribution to fight Covid-19, including the original vaccine donation last year, would have been $6,000,000.
As part of the Chen Zhi and Prince Group's broad ESG efforts, the donation will contribute to the Cambodian government's drive to vaccinate at least 80% of the country's nearly 13 million citizens.
Aside from monetary contributions, Chen Zhi and Prince Group also invested in Cambodians' skill development and upgrade. Cambodia has a long history of handwoven silk and traditional craftsmanship, dating back to the Khmer Empire, which Chen Zhi has often expresses his admiration for.
Part of his involvement in helping upgrade the skills of Cambodians includes the creation of the Prince Horology Vocational Training Center, to help Cambodians learn artisanal watchmaking skills. Neak Oknha Chen Zhi strongly believes that Cambodians have what it takes to create top quality and highly sought-after timepieces if given the proper training and opportunity to shine.
Chen Zhi's efforts to improve the skills of Cambodians would help the country's transition from a developing economy to a more developed one. This is also reflected in his attempts to transform conventional farming methods with the new innovations. These efforts come as farming incomes are said to have been affected by severe weather, resulting in floods and droughts, and to have dropped by more than half in the first quarter of 2020.
Even before the pandemic, farmers in Cambodia faced significant challenges. Prices for main agricultural commodities like paddy rice, cassava, and other vegetables plummeted. Soil productivity has also fallen. The effects of the pandemic will only worsen farmers' livelihoods.
Chen Zhi founded the Ecological Agricultural Plantation to resolve these farming issues. The plantation will be a game changer for Cambodia's agricultural sector. Cambodians will be able to understand and apply modern farming methods. Global and local farming experts will oversee the processes.
At the same time, the 136,000-square-meter Prince Manor Resort was established in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in October 2020 as part of the eco-tourism efforts to draw tourists. Guests will stay in hotels and witness the impressive scale of creativity used by agricultural experts in modern farming techniques.
The plantation, for example, employs an intelligent control system that controls temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, sunlight, and other variables 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The resort also has cutting-edge reverse osmosis water filtration and integrated water and fertiliser systems.
The plantation will be used as an interactive tool for pupils, families, and other stakeholders who come to visit. Chen Zhi and Prince Group created the resort as a responsible corporate citizen dedicated to the long-term growth of Cambodia's tourism and agriculture industries.
Prince Manor Resort will also serve as a model for sustainable development initiatives in Cambodia's increasingly rising economy, as nearly nine-tenths of the resort is forested. Spring gardens, an amusement park, a water park, and several lodges are among the resort's other features.
Chen Zhi's presence in Cambodia will go beyond economic and philanthropic efforts. Chen Zhi's long term ambition of Cambodian excellence include sports as well. His interest in sports coincides with his beliefs in lowering healthcare costs and improving social stability in Cambodia.
Chen Zhi has helped the national men's volleyball team prepare for the SEA Games, which Cambodia will host for the first time in 2023. He funded the team's trip to Fujian, China in 2019 for a 2-month intensive training programme in order to improve them. Chen Zhi has also made a $100,000 donation to the cause.
With a bevy of assistance and support towards bettering the lives of Cambodians, Chen Zhi can be considered a pioneer in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) fields, a core part of what Prince Group strongly believes in.
Many Cambodian companies are encouraged to adopt ESG principles in order to improve economic competitiveness and attract additional foreign investment. This will not only help to improve the lives of Cambodians, but would also shift Cambodia from a developing to a developed country.
For Neak Oknha Chen Zhi, there is no doubt that he will continue to play an important role in Cambodia's development by pursuing partnerships and providing financial support to key industries where possible, for the benefit of Cambodians and the nation's overall economy.
