Major
water project deals inked
Residents
of the port city of Sihanoukville are to have sufficient
piped water around the clock in 18 months.
The
system is being upgraded to supply 8,000 cubic meters of
processed daily, more than three times its present capacity
an intermittent delivery of 2,500 cubic meters.
The
development will also provide more than half the population
of the
province
with fresh water, up from the present 15 %.
Work
is set to start on the project, funded by the World Bank, at
US$2.95 million.
The
funding is part of the Urban Water Project credit for US$30
million approved in 1998 by the bank.
The
loan will also meet the cost of the rehabilitation of water
supply here and the development of a national policy
framework on water supply and sanitation.
A
Cambodian-Chinese joint venture has been awarded the
contract to complete the Sihanoukville project.
The
foreign partner is China International Water and Electric
Corporation, which will work with the local KC-MKK Group.
The
representative of the Chinese company, Jia Zhan-ling signed
an agreement with the Minister of Industry, Mines and
Energy, Suy Sem [pic] for the project here last week.
Suy
Sem said his ministry would continue to seek funds for
further expansion of supply so that the piped water would be
available in all parts of Sihanoukville.
The
government also signed agreements last week for consulting
services for developing six provincial water supply projects
and community sanitation and health awareness programme in
three provincial towns.
The
project will benefit about half a million residents of
Battambang, Pursat, Kompong Thom.
Kompong Cham, Kampot, Sihanoukville and Svay Rieng.
The
awareness programme will be confined to Battambang, Kompong
Cham and Sihanoukville provincial capitals.
The
project is being funded by the Asian Development Bank with a
soft loan of US$20 million of the total cost of US$26.35
million, the rest coming from the government and the
community.
Suy
Sem signed the agreements for the project with the President
of Nippon Jogessuido Sekkei Corporation, Dr.
Seiroku Nishibori.
The
Minister of Public Works and Transport, Khy Thaing Lim also
signed an agreement with Nishibori for a study of
waste-water disposal in the provincial capitals of
Battambang, Kompong Cham and Sihanoukville.
The
study will take 39 months with the early results being known
in about six months.
The
Business News, 19_25-Feb-2001
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