Cambodia's Siem Reap looks to lake for relief of groundwater supplies

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Cambodia's Siem Reap province have announced plans to pump water from the Tonle Sap Lake in order to supplement the province's supplies as water shortages continue to tighten their grip on the region, national media reported Friday.

The government would implement the program under a soft loans package from the Japanese government worth between 200 million and 300 million U.S. dollars, pending the completion of a feasibility study, Siem Reap Governor Sou Phirin was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying.

"A one-year-and-a-half feasibility study will be started in June to take water from the Tonle Sap basin to supply Siem Reap province," he said.

The province's water is primarily sourced from underground water tables, but Sou Phirin said the proposed project would supplant traditional sources, citing fears the draining of groundwater was endangering the foundations of Angkorian-era temples in the province.

"The new project will sustain a supply of clean water for the province," he said, adding that three new satellite cities currently under construction would also be supplied with lake water.

Chan Sengla, deputy director general of the Siem Reap Water Supply Authority, said the initiative to pump water from the lake was due to the growth in population and increased tourist traffic to the province.

"For the first phase, we plan to tap 20,000 to 30,000 cubic meters a day from the lake," he said.

Japan provides 36 million USD to Cambodia [to build Sihanoukville SEZ]

Friday, March 28, 2008

Phnom Penh, Mar 28, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source) -- Japan has pledged to provide a loan worth 3,651 million JPY (36 million USD) to build a special economic zone in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Under an agreement signed in Phnom Penh on March 27, aid will be part of a preferential loan to develop infrastructure, workshops and ports in a special economic zone covering 70 ha in Sihanoukville.

The agreement was signed by Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia Shohiro Shinohara and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

Additionally, Japan agreed to continue technical assistance to Cambodia in other future projects.

Int'l community provides over $70 mln for Cambodia [-Party time for Hun Sen's gov't?]

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The representatives of the United Kingdom (UK), Japan, the World Bank and the European Union (EU) to Cambodia on Wednesday provided over 70 million U.S. dollars of grant aid and loan for Cambodia to reduce its poverty and improve economy.

"The finance will be used for the reforms of public financial management, private sector development, as well as natural resource and land management from 2007 to 2010," said Keat Chhun, Cambodian Minister of Economics and Finance.

He signed an agreement with Japanese Ambassador Katsuhiro Shinohara, British Ambassador David Reader, the World Bank's country director Nisha Agrawal and EU's representative Rafael Dochao Moreno.

"We will spend this budget to match the development goals with effectiveness, transparency and accountability," he added.

David Readers said on behalf of the donors that this reflected the determination of the four development partners in helping Cambodia achieve the development goals, reduce poverty and speed up the economic growth and reforms.

Among the 70 million dollars, the UK provided 15 million dollars as grant aid, the World Bank 15 million dollars as grant aid, the EU 33 million dollars as grant aid and Japan 8.5 million dollars as concession loan, according to a joint press release.

$100 mln of yearly Japanese loan to reduce poverty or to fatten the pockets of corrupt gov't officials?

Japan promises $100 mln of concession loan for Cambodia to reduce poverty

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government has pledged to provide 100 million U.S. dollars of concession loan each year for Cambodia to facilitate its poverty reduction efforts, said Prime Minister Hun Sen here on Thursday.

The loan will be increased by one third on annual basis and the interest rate will keep as low as 0.01 percent, he told the construction ceremony of counter-flood facilities on the Tonle SapRiver bank in Phnom Penh.

Cambodia will pay it back in 40 years, he said, without giving other technical details of the loan.

"I urge the Cambodian government officials and the Japanese experts here to quickly take the loan to help and develop the poverty reduction projects," he added.

The loan deal was reached by both parties while Hun Sen paid his recent visit to Singapore to attend the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asia Nations) meetings.

International institutions have put the poverty rate of the kingdom at 35 percent.

Japanese loan for poverty reduction ... or for gov't officials enrichment?

Japan Hands Over $8 Million Loan for Poverty Reduction

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 October 2007

Japan gave Cambodia $8 million to support poverty reduction, in a ceremony presided over by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Japanese Ambassador Katsuhiro Shinohara.

The low-interest rate loan was important to Cambodia's political strategy, Hor Namhong said. Japan, the World Bank and developed countries were "partners" helping Cambodia, he said.

In Cambodia's strategy to reduce poverty, "good governance is the key," he added.