KOREA HELPS $6 MILLION ON RAILWAY AND ROAD SAFETY IN CAMBODIA

Posted by weekly on June 21, 2011 in News | 0 Comment

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Korean international Cooperation Agency (KOICA) of the Republic of Korea on 17 June signed the record of discussions of two projects: “The Project for Master Plan for Railway Network Development in Cambodia” and “The Project for Road Safety Equipment & Materials and Safety Measures for National Road No. 3 and National Road No. 48” with the total estimated budget of US$ 6 million which is the grant aid from the Government of the Republic of Korea at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in Phnom Penh.

The Grant Aid agreement signed by Dr. Shin Eui-cheol, Representative of KOICA in Cambodia Office and Cambodian side by H.E. Tauch Chankosal, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport under the presidency of H.E. Tram Iv Tek, Minister of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and H.E. Chang Ho-jin, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

H.E. Tram Iv Tek, Minister of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said that Korea is a good major partner of Cambodia in all sectors such as trade, health, industrial, tourism, education, technology and especially public transportation and infrastructure.

He mentioned that the record of discussion focused on two major points which were “The Project for Master Plan for Railway Network Development in Cambodia,” (1) study on master plan for railway network in Cambodia 2011-2040, (2) feasibility study on the highest priority project and (3) transfer 10 railway department official to internship for two weeks and 2 official for 3 months, while “The Project for Road Safety Equipment & Materials and Safety Measures for National Road No.3 and National Road No. 48” focus on (1) study to determine road dangerous point, (2) provide road safety measures and reduce traffi c accident equipment and materials and (3) strengthen road safety management ability by providing a specialist to help on the work and send 7 ministry
officials to internship for 3 or 4 weeks and 5 officials for 2 two weeks.

He added that since 2005, everyday five people died and US$ 250 million were lost every year because of traffic accident as the figure in 2009 showed that US$ 248 lost and US$ 279 million were lost in 2010. H.E. Chang Ho Jin, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Cambodia, said that ODA
has been one of the most important instruments to promote close cooperation between the two countries.

From 2003 to 2010, Korea’s grant aid to Cambodia has sharply increased from 2.3 million to 15 million US dollars while the volume of concessional loans amount to 290 million dollars in 2010. “Cambodia will consider Korea a major partner country for development cooperation.” “Two projects are very meaningfulfor the development and maintenance of essential public infrastructure which is an important ingredient for sustained economic growth and poverty reduction.” He stressed that infrastructure investment can lift economic growth and support social objectives.

The Ambassador highlighted that, “The Project for Master Plan for Railway Network Development in Cambodia” was designed (1) to accelerate economic growth in Cambodia through the establishment of master plan for railway network and feasibility study, (2) to assist efficient and systematic development of nationalrailway network of Cambodia, and (3) to transfer Korea’s policy and technology related to railway network to Cambodia, while “The Project for Road Safety Equipment & Materials and Safety Measures for National Road No.3 and National Road No. 48” are (1) to decrease the number of traffic accident through road safety equipment & materials and safety measures for National Road No. 3 and National Road No. 48, (2) to review the existing road safety infrastructureincluding the black spots and to plan additional installation in order to improve road safety and to promote road effi ciency on ASEAN highways through National Road No. 3 and National Road No. 48, and (3) to improve the capacity of human resources of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of the Kingdom
of Cambodia.

Since 1991, the total volume of KOICA’s grant aid to the Kingdom of Cambodia has been scaling up to US$ 68 million, covering a wide range of areas such as infrastructure, agriculture & rural development, health, education sectors as well as cross-cutting sectors such as environment, democracy, civil society, gender,

public administration including “good governance” which is the core value of the Rectangular Strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia. (SEAW)

BY TIM VUTHA

Source: Southeast Asia Weekly