Post by Laoupdate news on Apr 5, 2005 17:23:18 GMT -5
VIENTIANE (LAOS), April 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Sun Holdings Co Ltd hopes to complete its US$13 million two-storey shopping complex here by February next year, said executive director Kenny Cheok.
The shopping complex, he added, marked the first phase of the company's latest project. The second phase will be office buildings while phase three will see the construction of service apartments for medium-end customers.
"Vientiane is small, with a population about 500,000. We are starting with this shopping complex before we commit to any other mall. We have to study the market carefully," Cheok told Bernama in an interview, here Tuesday.
He said phase two and three of the project would start after the completion of phase one next year.
Cheok said the shopping complex would resemble the Sungai Wang Plaza shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.
He said although a convention centre called Lao I-Tek now functions as a mall, complete with theatre and bowling alley, the new shopping complex would be better in terms of services and modern facilities, including a food court.
The I-Tek convention centre was built for the Asean Summit held here in October last year.
"There will also be a supermarket here with fresh food and ingredients because for some time now people have been going to Thailand to buy fresh stocks," Cheok said.
On the development of Laos, Cheok said the country has improved a lot since the company started operations here two years ago. He recalled that the first time he came to Laos was by boat from Cambodia along the Mekong river.
"Laos is slowly picking up," he said, adding that the language is still considered a barrier.
He also said that more developed countries affiliated with Laos are bringing their technology and experience to help expedite the country's growth.
Sun Holdings is also the owner and developer of the much acclaimed, US$22 million five-star hotel situated in the middle of the city, and about 15-minute drive from the Wattay International Airport.
The hotel was commissioned to be built last year and completed within 10 months in October last year, just in time for the Asean Summit.
"At 15-storey high, it is now the tallest building in Laos," Cheok said, adding more electronic equipment have to be installed to touch up the hotel.
On another note, Cheok said the company was also considering taking up the opportunity to provide halal food in the city.
"The potential is big considering the growing number of Muslim expatriates here, especially those in the business sector and also embassies of Muslim countries," he said.
"For now, the Muslim community crosses the border to Thailand to get the supply of halal food," he added.
Source: BERNAMA
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