Aid and development

The Japanese ambassador is set to sign a new aid package today pledging about $140 million worth of support for various projects, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ...

In its first two months of regular operation Cambodia’s first civil aviation training centre has provided certificates to dozens of aviation officials and airport staff, helping to raise the skill level of personnel in the Kingdom’s fast-expanding aviation sector. ...

Sweden’s development agency will provide $7 million to foster the development of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia, according to state-run news agency AKP. ...

The influx of Chinese economic assistance into Sri Lanka and Cambodia has raised questions regarding the intentions behind these massive loans. A 2016 International Monetary Fund report showed that Cambodia’s external multilateral public debt is now at US$1.6 billion, while its bilateral public debt with ...

Cambodia and the United Nations have vowed to find more funds to support the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, according to the Council of Ministers.   ...

South Korea has given more than 200 military vehicles to Cambodia and nearly 200 more will arrive in July. The first batch were handed over yesterday at a ceremony at the Techo Hun Sen Military Technical Institute in Kampong Speu province. ...

Two images on the back of the 500 riel banknote depict bridges, with the one on the left showing the Kingdom’s longest and most modern bridge, the Tsubasa (“Bird’s Wing”) Bridge linking Kandal and Prey Veng provinces. ...

Cambodia yesterday asked China to help fund the construction of two bridges across the Mekong River, which it said would cut traffic congestion in Phnom Penh and help create a ring road around the city.   ...

Japan has signed a three-year deal to help train government officials on attracting environmentally friendly investment. The Environment Ministry and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) yesterday signed the agreement to educate officials about how to use environmental impact assessments and enforce pollution controls. ...

The Ministry of Economy and Finance secured a $36.3 million concessionary loan from the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) program aimed at accelerating the production of small-scale agricultural products including rice, vegetables, potatoes, silk and livestock, according to a ministry release yesterday. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen has once again called for the United States to drop the debt Cambodia incurred during the 1970s Lon Nol regime, just days after US Ambassador William Heidt said in no uncertain terms that the US had no such plans. ...

Cambodia is expecting a shipment of military vehicles donated by South Korea, according to a sub-decree. The Ministry of Finance in December released about $1 million to the Defence Ministry to cover the equipment’s transportation, it says.​ ...

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will continue to support the development of Cambodia’s logistics sector in its partnership with the government to reduce transport costs and strengthen the country’s logistics infrastructure. ...

South Korea will hand out nearly $420 million in development loans to Cambodia this week, much of it for roads and other infrastructure, bringing its total assistance to more than $880 million since 2001.   ...

Cambodia will begin applying for a loan from the newly established China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) from next year in response to the current need for infrastructure development. ...

The government plans to spend about $300 million to build a new multipurpose seaport in Preah Sihanouk province, which promises to receive larger cargo ships and reduce logistics costs.The new port will increase the capacity of the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) to handle cargo shipments, ...

The French Agency for Development has granted a 30 million euro, or $31.1 million, loan for the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) to expand one of its four water plants and increase its water distribution in the capital. ...

Foreign aid to Cambodia dropped about 14 percent last year, according to updated data released this week—though the figures exclude China, one of the country’s most significant donors. Actual payments of foreign aid fell from $970 million in 2014 to $830 million last year, marking ...

Japanese investors have sunk over $800 million into the Cambodian economy over the past two decades, with much of this investment coming on the back of concessional aid directed to develop and strengthen the country’s trade and industry capacities, according to data provided on Friday ...

Japan, the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s largest donor to date, has contributed a further $1.12 million to its international component, the tribunal said on Tuesday in a statement. ...

A $100 million freshwater aquarium, part of which will be a research and breeding center, is being planned for Phnom Penh.​ The project, revealed in a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and a visiting Japanese delegation from the Japan-Cambodia Association on Friday, will be funded ...

In light of global predictions of a slowdown in economic markets, led largely by China’s slackening growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday offered Cambodia advice on short and longer term measures to help maintain growth. It also warned that the country’s rapid credit growth ...

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $45 million loan for Cambodia to overhaul its upper secondary education in order to address the increased demand for skilled workers. ...

Chinese aid and expertise—and perhaps some fighter jets—will help modernize Cambodia’s military, Defense Minister Tea Banh said on Monday as navy vessels from China and the U.S. paid courtesy calls to Cambodia’s ports. Speaking after his return from the 7th Xiangshan Forum, a regional security summit ...