Korea Helps Cambodia on Master Plan for Railway Network Development

Korea Helps Cambodia on Master Plan for Railway Network Development

KOICA News Release: translate from local newspaper

From KOICA Cambodia Office

News Release in The Phnom Penh Post in Khmer

Issued on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 14:46 by Siem Bunthy

Picture by Mr. Phylong, The Phnom Penh Post 

   "Worker is repairing the railway"

Phnom Penh: The Republic of Korea signed the Record of Discussions to provide US$ 6 million to Cambodia for a study and development of two (2) projects in Cambodia. On Friday last week, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia signed the Record of Discussions of the Project for Master Plan for Railway Network Development in Cambodia with the total budget of US$ 2.8 million and the Project for Road Safety Equipment & Materials and Safety Measures for National Road No. 3 and National Road No. 48 with total budget of US$ 3.2 million.

The Master-plan study, due to begin in August, would take 24 months to complete, Ministry of Public Works and Transport General Director of Public Works Kem Borey said. He also highlighted that “The Project for Master Plan for Railway Network Development is established in the purpose of accelerating economic growth in Cambodia through the establishment of master plan for railway network and feasibility study and assisting the efficient and systematic development of national railway network of Cambodia”.

He continued that the assistance for this sector was immediately reflecting the urgent requirements and policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia for encouraging the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability in land transport within country as well as in the region because railway was one of the immense weighty transport alternative which shared heavy load transport from the National Road resulting in saving road maintenance costs, reducing road traffic congestions and improving road traffic safety.

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

The study for the Master Plan for the development of the railway in Cambodia was the plan for implementing for the period of thirty (30) years from 2011 to 2040.

Mr. Kem Borey added that “The project will study whether, and where, we will construct railways, what type railways, and whether what we build will meet transport demand”.

Mr. Chan Sophal, President of the Cambodian Economic Association stated that the infrastructure in Cambodia was still very limited. “Therefore, this project is providing the top priority to the Cambodian economic sector through the ease of transporting goods and services and this project will also increase more and faster activities of business”, he said.