Japan Helps Cambodia Despite Difficulties
Japan on August 15th loaned Cambodia a package of US$ 53.3 million for the West Tonle Sap Irrigation and Drainage Improvement and a grant aid of US$ 0.7 million to improve education equipment of the Department of Geo-Resources and Geotechnical Engineering of the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC)...The fund assistances were the response to Cambodia's requests and with a view to strengthening friendly and cooperative relations between Japan and Cambodia and also to promote economic development efforts of Cambodia, the press release issued by the Embassy of Japan stated. It added: The soft loan is to increase the rice production at six areas in the West Tonle Sap region covering 12,000 ha, by constructing and rehabilitating irrigation system, to establish and strengthen Farmer Water User Communities (FWUC) and groups (FWUG), and to improve the management capacity of farmers...Other grant aid of US $700,000 dollars is earmarked to improve educational equipment of the new Department of Geo-Resources and Geotechnical Engineering of the Institute of Technology of Cambodia due to the oil and mining industries that are starting to develop in Cambodia with the participation of foreign companies... According the Minister [of Water Resource and Meteorology], more than 60 irrigation projects are being processed in 2011, costing US$ 120 million, and more funding is needed...The Ministry already gets $100 million funding from China to work on the Waiko river irrigation project, and upon the completion of this project, it can be ensured that the watering on Kompong Cham, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng will be sufficient, with the total land size of 300,000 hectares, he revealed.
