Aid and development

Cambodia and China yesterday signed three agreements on mine clearing, a transportation master plan and renovation of the Royal Palace building in Siem Reap province. The signings came amid the launch of a big finance project to improve education in Cambodia. ...

China has granted some $131 million in aid to the Cambodian military. It comes as yet another sign that the Kingdom is strengthening strategic ties with its Asian neighbour to counter increasingly cold relations with the United States. The aid was announced as part of ...

The Minister of Agriculture and the EU ambassador have met to discuss an 85 million euro ($100 million) project to develop Cambodia’s fishing industry. Minister Veng Sakhon met envoy George Edgar at the ministry on Friday. ...

The feasibility study on a promising fisheries-conservation project that will be financed by the European Union has been finished, and will now be presented to European lawmakers for approval, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. ...

China has provided a $2.5 million grant to the government to support the demining activities of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. According to a CMAC statement issued on Thursday, China granted the aid under the China-Aided Cambodia Landmine Elimination Project, which will run until May 2019 ...

Twenty mobile clinics out of 40 provided by the Chinese government were deployed yesterday in 11 citities and provincial health departments to bring timely and effective services to people, especially in rural areas. ...

Cambodia’s economic health remains strong at about 6 or 7 percent annual growth, but the country needs to harness its young population and invest in training and skills to ensure this trend continues, the World Bank said. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen used a speech inaugurating a Chinese-funded university in Kratie on Wednesday to defend Chinese investment in Cambodia, which has come under fire in recent months both for its adverse economic side effects and its perceived potential for political influence. ...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed over $2.8 billion in lending, grants, and technical assistance to Cambodia since 1966, making it the country’s largest multilateral development partner. The development bank issued a report yesterday that puts its total contribution to Cambodia at $2.86 billion over ...

The economy will grow at a rate of 6.9 percent in 2018, according to the latest report from the World Bank. Other international financial institutions have issued similar forecasts this month, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) putting national ...

Cambodia’s economic outlook remains positive and the economy is forecast to grow at a robust 7 percent this year and next year, according to a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday. Growth in exports, strong foreign direct investment, growing tourist arrivals ...

Financing has been secured for key road reconstruction projects in Cambodia. Work is being carried out on six road projects in the country that measure a total of 600km, as well as a bridge, with this all costing some US$490 million. A loan of $94 ...

Six countries pledged to enact $66 billion worth of projects over the next five years at the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit in Hanoi on Saturday, with Cambodia-specific projects scheduled to receive the least amount of funding of any participant. ...

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is forecasting that 44 percent of Cambodia’s total rice exports will be smuggled out of the country through informal channels this year, a persistent problem that weighs down profits and threatens to cripple the industry. ...

Cambodia should continue to see steady economic growth at about 7 percent this year despite potential investor caution that could arise ahead of July’s national election, officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) said on Wednesday. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday announced that Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will visit Cambodia soon to sign an aid agreement, dismissing reports that the Japanese would pressure him to negotiate with former CNRP officials. ...

Construction on a new tourist ferry port located about 6 kilometres from the provincial capital in Kampot province has been delayed, although a Tourism Ministry spokesman promised that construction would begin before the end of this year. ...

China’s financing of Belt and Road Initiative projects in Cambodia could lead to increased debt distress, according to a recent analysis, though the Kingdom’s low overall debt makes it unlikely to default in the near future. ...

The United States Senate has passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill that looks to cut funding for Cambodia unless it releases all political prisoners and reinstates the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. The passage of the omnibus bill on Friday, which averts a US government ...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to establish a new $60 million program focused on developing local technical skills and increasing the competitiveness of Cambodia’s labour force in 2019, according to Minister of Labour Ith Sam Heng. ...

Cambodia reiterated the important role Australia plays in the development of its agriculture sector and urged leaders of the Commonwealth nation to support the modernisation of the industry through investments in modern factories and machinery. ...

The Asian Development Bank’s recent announcement of $40 million in funding for Cambodia marks the first funds from the Green Climate Fund that were earmarked for the Kingdom, according to ADB officials. ...

The government of South Korea will help to build a Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River in the future, according to a statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday. The announcement came after a meeting on Friday between Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and newly-appointed ...

The Asian Development Bank has announced an additional $30 million in grants and $10 million in loans to Cambodia as part of the organization’s Green Climate Fund. ...