Cambodia Investment Review
Panasonic Cambodia in association with NGO Light With Dignity has donated 1,050 Panasonic Solar Lanterns to the provinces of Battambang and Pursat, under the “Light up The Future” program part of Panasonic Cambodia’s corporate philosophy of not just a company, but a “part of society”.
Between the 4th and 6th of May Panasonic and LWD headed to Veal Village, Pursat with Panasonic Cambodia donating the units to 132 local families. The mission was led by Mr. Yasunobu Matsumoto, CEO, and Country Head of Panasonic Cambodia, as well as being attended by the district governor and other dignitaries.
Speaking after the event Mr. Yasunobu Matsumoto expressed his delight at meeting the people of Veal Village face to face, as well as expressing his desire for Panasonic Cambodia to become more involved with community projects.
“This is not a one-off project and Panasonic would like to continue with helping to improve the lighting situation for rural places in need within Cambodia,” he said.
Following the presentation of the units, Panasonic along with LWD proceeded to provide an on-site training session for the 132 families on how to operate, maintain and safely use the Panasonic Solar Lantern, with a company representative finally adding that continued support and help within the solar sector as part of their corporate policy within Cambodia.
Panasonic Cambodia commits to CSR
A Panasonic Cambodia representative explained how the company is committed to an inclusive society without poverty by engaging in activities for solving the social issues.
“The 1,050 Solar Lanterns Project is one of our social responsibilities to end poverty and that is why we are in partnership with LWD, a non-governmental organization that works together with vulnerable people and communities to transform their personal and socio-economic situation towards self-reliance through a holistic development approach”.
According to a report by the World Bank, while 97.6 percent of Cambodia is connected to some form of electricity, only 70.5 percent are connected to the national power grid.
This means roughly 5 million people still rely on alternative forms of creating electricity, which can range from oil-driven generators to wood, which aside from being unreliable and expensive are also not considered environmentally friendly.
The Cambodian government consistently collaborates with private enterprises as a solution for both environmental and infrastructural development within the Kingdom. Cambodia is on course to become a middle-income country by 2030, with the solving of power issues seen as a key part of this.