The bottom line: Cambodia depends in Yuon electricity

Vietnam provides electricity to Cambodia

09/01/2010
VNA/VOV News (Hanoi)

Vietnam’s National Power Transmission Corporation (NPT) and the Electricity of Cambodia (EDC) held a conference on the Chau Doc-Takeo 220kV power line from Vietnam to Cambodia in Ho Chi Minh City on August 31.

At the conference, the two sides discussed issues concerning power transmission, power network connection and other technical problems between the two countries.

Nguyen Van Bay, head of the technology department of Power Transmission Company No 4, said that after 16 months of operation, the Chau Doc-Takeo power line has provided Cambodia with over 912 million of kWh of electricity, contributing to dealing with the shortage of electricity in Cambodia.

The project is part of an agreement between the two governments and a contract between EVN and EDC signed in July, 2000. Its maximum transmitting capacity is 200MW with an average output from 900 million kWh to 1.4 billion kWh.

EVN to provide electricity to Cambodia

30/03/2009
VietNamNet/VNA

VietNamNet Bridge – Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and Electricity of Cambodia (EDC) will put into operation a 220kV power line on March 30, an important step towards effecting electricity sales to Cambodia, according to EVN Deputy General Director Dang Hoang An.

The Chau Doc (Vietnam) – Takeo (Cambodia) power line is part of an agreement signed in March 2003 between the two governments and a contract between EVN and EDC.

According to EVN, the line has a maximum transmitting capacity of 200MW.

$15.6m of electricity stolen in 2008 [... the thieves are among the wealthiest and most powerful in Cambodia]

A technician does maintenance on a Phnom Penh powerline. (Photo by: BLOOMBERG)

WEDNESDAY, 11 MARCH 2009
Written by Ngoun Sovan and Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

Losing power

• $159.6m worth of electricity produced in 2008
• $15.6m stolen last year
• 9.8pc of total output
• 11pc of electricity production stolen per year since 2003

Source: Electricite du Cambodge

About 10 percent of national grid output taken illegally, less than 2007, says EdC.

ELECTRICITY theft cost state-run Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) around US$15.6 million in revenue last year alone, officials said Tuesday.

According to the national power supplier, around 10 percent of last year's estimated income was lost due to dishonest clients.

"Last year, the EdC supplied 1.14 billion kilowatts of power to about 205,000 families in Phnom Penh, Kandal and Kampong Speu town," Chhin Ing, director of the EdC's business department, said Tuesday. The total value of the electricity supplied for the year was an estimated $159.6 million, he added.

"Since 2003, the EdC had lost around 11 percent of revenue annually."

"Of this figure, the EdC lost about 9.8 percent due to power stealing," he said.

He said, however, that the loss was lower than previous years.

"Since 2003, the EdC had lost around 11 percent of revenue annually, which declined to about 9.8 last year due to our strong efforts in both technique and management," he said.

According to local media reports, EdC inspectors last week traced a $3,350 loss to the mansion of tycoon Duong Chhiv, chairman of the Chinese Association in Cambodia, who had his electricity meter fixed to avoid payment.

"Electrical power offences always happen, it is unavoidable; it is like police trying to catch thieves, but we constantly inspect houses to check for and reduce power stealing," Chhin Ing said.

"Offenders will be fined based on EdC's regulations," he added.

However, opposition lawmakers speculated Tuesday that electricity fraud was more likely to stem from corruption within the organisation itself.

"As I inspect, power stealing has been conducted by EdC officials themselves. They have allocated and connected electricity for unscrupulous businessmen or powerful people in order to collect money for their own pockets," said Son Chhay, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.

"If there is no reform in management, and if there is no proper punishment for corrupt officials, the loss is the burden of the state."

Youth Offered EdC Job After Brother's Death

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 November 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

The older brother of a young boy killed in a construction accident on a work site of Electricite du Cambodge last week has been promised a job by the company and the family compensated with $1,500.

Men Chanpong, 13, was buried alive Friday night by an EdC bulldozer in Lor Kambor village, Svay Pak commune, Russei Keo district, where villagers say he was working part time.

EdC has denied employing the boy, but paid compensation to his father and promised a job to Men Chanthy, the 23-year-old brother of the boy.

Rights and union officials said such compensation, common in Cambodia, perpetuated a system of impunity and weakened the rule of law.

“They gave my son a job in the company, but I don’t know what it is because I just got a call this morning to get an application,” Men Chanseng, 47-year-old father of the boy, said Tuesday.

Men Chanseng himself is a construction worker. He would not confirm whether his son worked for EdC, but he confirmed receiving compensation from the company.

Chea Sunhel, director of EdC’s supply department, denied the boy worked for the company and said Tuesday EdC was giving Men Chanthy a job in addition to compensation because the family was poor.

“He might work as a security guard or, if he is literate, he can record meter readings,” Chea Sunhel said. “It depends on his abilities.”

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation Union, said such compensation was not worth the life of a child.

“It is not fair, because if the company keeps paying just $1,000 or $2,000 for the family of the deceased, and there is nothing happening to it, that means impunity in Cambodia is still high,” he said.

In Cambodia a habit exists where a perpetrator of a crime pays compensation to a family in order to avoid the courts, which themselves are widely criticized as corrupt and politically biased.

Ny Chakrya, a rights investigator for Adhoc, said if the legal system cannot punish perpetrators, Cambodia cannot meet the rule of law.

“If impunity continues, none of the cases will be involved with the people. They will not file in court, they will not cooperate and they will not join in legal reform to strengthen the rule of law in Cambodia. So the legal system here will become weaker and weaker.”

Save electricity: Shut down power at Hun Sen's tiger lair

Cambodia Offers Ways To Save Electricity

PHNOM PENH, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's state-run Electricite du Cambodge (EdC)offers seven ways on how the public an lower their electricity usage, a local media reported Wednesday.

"We encourage users to save energy because EdC lacks about 40 megawatts to meet the electricity consumption in Phnom Penh at the peak hours between 7 am to 8pm," Xinhua quoted EdC Director-General Keo Rattanak, as saying in a statement.

Among the ways that are outlined: users should avoid using many electrical appliances at once; Do not turn on outside lamps before sunset; Turn lamps off after sunrise.

The EdC is unable to meet the nation's growing appetite for electricity, forcing the agency to frequently black out sections of the capital.

And electricity usage nationwide is predicted to increase by at least 10 percent annually, EdC officials said earlier this year.

Former Police Chief Gets Another 18 Years in Jail

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
22 April 2008

Former Phnom Penh police chief Heng Pov was handed another 18 years in prison Tuesday, in continuing court proceedings against him.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued the sentence after finding Heng Pov guilty of conspiracy to commit murder earlier this year, in the 2005 attempted killing of state electricity company official Kim Daravuth.

Kim Daravuth was shot in the neck by gunmen following a dispute with Heng Pov over an electricity bill. He survived but is now paralyzed.

The court also handed 18-year sentences to Hang Vuthy, a former police officer for the municipal minor crime unit, who has since fled prison, and Am Samkheng, former police officer for the Ministry of Interior.

Judge Chay Kong, who presided over a three-judge panel, also ordered the men to pay $800,000 to the victim.

The court released suspect Prum Sophearith, who had been charged alongside Heng Pov.

The fallen police chief has been sentenced to a total of 58 years and six months so far, in a battery of cases against him, including guilty verdicts for murder, extortion, illegal weapons possession and kidnapping.

He still faces additional charges, including kidnapping and murder.

Kim Daravuth’s wife, Vong Nina, told reporters following the sentencing that the courts had provided “real justice” for her “long-suffering husband.”

“My husband did not sleep well last night before the decision was issued, because he is afraid of not having real justice,” she said.

Heng Pov’s lawyer, Kao Sopha, called the court’s decision “unjust” and “revenge between the court and Heng Pov.”

“In the past Heng Pov carried out the Iron Fist [corruption-fighting campaign] of Prime Minister Hun Sen, affecting court institutions, particularly the municipal court,” Kao Sopha said.

Heng Pov has one month to appeal.

Heng Pov had been a powerful member of Cambodia’s security apparatus, until he was accused of murder, fled the country and was extradited by Malaysia authorities in late 2006.

He has accused both Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Police Chief Hok Lundy of orchestrating numerous murders, a charge the two have denied as a bid for third-country asylum.

Son Chhay asks for a strengthening of the electricity administration

Friday, March 28, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

SRP MP Son Chhay asked the government to strengthen the administration of the electricity company first before it decides to use state funds to help pay the loss incurred by Electricité du Cambodge (EDC), Cambodia’s electricity company. RFA reported that Son Chhay wrote a letter dated 25 March 2008 stating that he just learned that Prime minister Hun Sen plans to use $24 million of state funds to dole out to EDC in order to help pay for the losses incurred by this company. Son Chhay indicated that the price of electricity in Cambodia is the highest in the region by at least threefold. He also indicated that experts claimed that there is no reason for EDC to incur any loss, even at the current oil price. He said that if EDC was properly administered without corruption, it can only make an even higher profit. Besides asking for a better administration of the electricity company, Son Chhay also asked the government to transfer the $24 million it plans to use to pay for EDC losses to increase the salary of civil servants, teachers, police officers and soldiers instead.

Heng Pov Defies Judge in Conspiracy Trial

Heng Pov (L) and Kim Daravuth (R) (Photo: Koh Santepheap)

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
28 March 2008

Fallen city police chief Heng Pov refused to answer questions from a municipal judge Friday, as a trial on conspiracy to murder opened against him.

Heng Pov's lawyer also refused to answer questions from Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Chhay Kong, who gave Heng Pov 18 months on illegal weapons charges in a case in 2006.

No verdict was issued at the close of Friday's trial, but one is expected soon.

Heng Pov, who rose to power as Phnom Penh's municipal police chief, had sought a change of judge ahead of the trial, claiming Chhay Kong had unjustly sentenced to prison members of his household, including a housekeeper, gardener and dog-keeper, in a previous case.

"This is the first time I have been in a hearing when the accused refused to answer the judge," said Tong Heng, a court monitor for the Center for Social Development.

Heng Pov is charged with ordering a murder attempt on Elecricite du Cambodge branch officer Kim Daravuth, who was shot in the neck and paralyzed by gunmen following a dispute over an electricity bill with the former police chief in mid-2005.

If convicted, Heng Pov faces an additional sentence of 10 years to life, added to the 40 years and six months he is already serving for other crimes, including ordering the murder of Municipal Court judge Sok Sothamony in 2003, possessing $400,000 in counterfeit bills and illegally detaining a suspect without trial.

He faces further criminal charges, including kidnapping, illegal detention and murder.

M'sia Leader Universal to build 200 MW coal-fired power plant in Cambodia to produce electricity for sale to EDC

Leader signs 30-year PPA in Cambodia

28-03-2008
The Edge Daily (Malaysia)

KUALA LUMPUR: Leader Universal Holdings Bhd’s upcoming 200MW coal-fired power plant in Cambodia will supply electricity to state-owned Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) under a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

Leader told Bursa Malaysia it had also signed an implementation agreement with the Cambodian Industry, Mines and Energy Ministry for the project. The deals were inked yesterday.

“Discussions are still ongoing with the turnkey contractor on the engineering, procurement and construction works. The financial adviser is also in the midst of making the necessary arrangement on the project financing,” Leader said.

Both agreements followed a joint venture (JV) deal between Leader and MKCSS Holdings Co Ltd in November 2006 to bid for the electricity project in Sihanoukville.

The Cambodian government had awarded the job to both companies in February 2007, and subsequently a JV company, Power Synergy Corporation Co Ltd (PSC), was formed to undertake the project.

Under the PPA, PSC will build four 50MW coal-fired electricity generators, and a double-circuit 230 kV transmission line. The base tariff has been fixed at US$0.07212 (23 sen) per kilowatt-hours with indexation.

Fallen Police Chief Faces More Charges

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
27 March 2008

Jailed former Phnom Penh police chief Heng Pov is set to face Phnom Penh Muncipal Court Friday on charges of conspiracy to murder a state electric company official in 2005.

Elecricite du Cambodge branch officer Kim Daravuth was shot in the neck and paralyzed by gunmen following a dispute over an electricity bill with Heng Pov in mid-2005.

Heng Pov's lawyer, Kao Sopha, said Thursday there was no evidence linking the fallen police chief to the attempted killing.

"If we look over the legal documents by the police and the court, there is no evidence to punish Heng Pov," Kao Sopha said. "The court charges Heng Pov of conspiracy in connection with the murder, but no one confessed that Heng Pov is the one who ordered the killing. And the victim and witness haven't shown clearly who the [attempted] killers were."

"In this case, if we focus on the evidence, the court cannot punish Heng Pov," he said. "Although Heng Pov and Daravuth had a conflict, the court must find the evidence to charge Heng Pov."

Heng Pov was a powerful police official until he fled the country in 2006, when national police authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.

Heng Pov fled to Singapore and Malaysia, where he was seized by authorities and pled for asylum in a third country.

Malaysian authorities extradited Heng Pov to Cambodia in late 2006, but not before he wrote a letter accusing Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Police Chief Gen. Hok Lundy of ordering a 1997 grenade attack on Sam Rainsy Party supporters and the murder of popular singer Piseth Pilika.

He also accused both leaders of ordering the murder of Free Trade Union president Chea Vichea in 2004.

Hun Sen and Hok Lundy have denied the allegations as an asylum bid.

If convicted of ordering Kim Daravuth's shooting, Heng Pov faces an additional sentence of 10 years to life, to be added onto the 40 years and six months he is already serving for a battery of other crimes.

He has been found guilty of ordering the murder of Municipal Court judge Sok Sothamony in 2003, as well as possessing $400,000 in counterfeit bills and illegally detaining a suspect without trial.

He faces numerous additional criminal charges, including kidnapping, illegal detention, murder, and others.

EdC: No electricity price hike

Thursday, January 31, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

While the cost of electricity along various provinces is fluctuating with the price of oil, in Phnom Penh, a rumor indicated that EdC plans to increase the price of electricity in 2008. Tan Kim Vin, the director of EdC, told the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper on 30 January that the gasoline price hike brought losses to EdC, but that EdC has no plan to increase the price of electricity to make up for the increased price of oil, because the EdC loss is supplemented by government subsidies. An official of EdC told the newspaper that, currently, in Phnom Penh, the number of electricity users reaches 190,000. Each month, the number of electricity users increases between 700 to 1,000. This demand forces EdC to find new source of electricity to fulfill the demands of its users.