Japan Provides a Loan of 90 Million USD for National Road No 5 Improvement

Phnom Penh: Japan has provided a loan of 8,852 million Yen (approximately 90 million USD) for national road No. 5 improvement project from Battambang province to Sri Sophorn town. The loan agreement was signed yesterday by H.E. Keat Chhon, Minister of Economy and Finance and Mr. Arakawa Hiroto, Vice President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said the press release of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The loan will be used to widen a 47 kilometers stretch of the national road No. 5 between Battambang province and Sri Sophorn town of Banteay Meanchey province and to construct two bypasses in the two provinces, it added. According to H.E. Keat Chhon, national road No. 5 is one part of ASEAN highway network; therefore, the road improvement is not only support economic development in Battambang and Banteay Meanchey province but also Mekong Sub-region countries, especially the Southern Economic Corridor, and this project will provide a productive result to the citizens who live there. In addition, it also plays an important role for both domestic and international road networks. (Rasmei Kampuchea, 17 May)