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Chroy Changva bridge opens


Prime Minister Hun Sen and Japanese ambassador Hidehisa Horinouchi pose for a photo after the opening of the bridge. KT/Khem Sovannara
Chroy Changva bridge I, commonly known as the Cambodian-Japanese Friendship bridge on Wednesday opens to ease traffic flow after its repairs.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Hidehisa Horinouchi presided over the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday.

Mr Hun Sen said in his Facebook post that Cambodian-Japanese Friendship bridge is very important as it connects Phnom Penh to other provinces.

“The renovation of this bridge is of better quality with Japanese and Cambodian engineering. Chroy Changva bridge is very important bridge spanning Tonle Sap river. It was built and funded by Japanese grant aid,” Mr Hun Sen said.

According to Japan International Cooperation Agency’s statement, the bridge was renovated in September 2017 due to its crack.

The reconstruction has completed earlier than the original plan which was scheduled in June, it said.

“The bridge will facilitate people travelling, reduce traffic congestion and enhance economic activities such as transporting products between Phnom Penh and provinces,” the statement said.

The Chroy Changva bridge I, which has a total length of 709 meters across the Tonle Sap river, was constructed by Japanese contractors in 1963, but it was almost destroyed by the civil war in 1970s.

The bridge was reconstructed by Japanese aid in 1992 and reopened in 1996 as an important economic corridor connecting Phnom Penh to the provinces.

Cambodia’s 2019 GDP grows by 7 percent: ADB


The high building growth in the capital. KT/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodia’s economic growth is projected to stay robust with 7 percent in 2019 due to strong economic performance last year, according to Asian Development Bank.

The Kingdom’s GDP growth in 2020 is forecast to hit slowdown growth of 6.8 percent, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2019, ADB’s flagship annual economic publication.

With a slowdown forecast in the advanced economies and China – major destinations for Cambodian exports–growth will likely soften for Cambodia’s exports and the tourism sector, it said.

It said that growth of industrial output is likely to ease from an estimated 10.8 percent in 2018 to 10.1 percent in 2019.

It said that the agriculture sector is projected to grow 1.7 percent, down from 1.8 percent last year.

ADB Country Director for Cambodia Sunniya Durrani-Jamal said that Cambodia’s economy is projected to grow over the next two years.

“Cambodia is projected to exhibit strong economic growth over the next two years, despite a weakening external environment,” she said.

“A key driver of growth in the future will be improving the quality of Cambodia’s human capital, including technical and vocational skills, to meet the demand of the private sector,” she said.

Government approves the Japanese SmartCity initiative in principle

The establishment of the Asean-Japan Smart City Network and of a Private-Public Forum on Asean-Japan urbanisation development in Cambodia may soon be a reality after the government approved the initiatives in principle, according to a Council of Ministers letter.

The letter, sent to the Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction, was signed on March 1 and released on Monday.

The three largest urban areas of Cambodia – Phnom Penh, Siem Reap town and Battambang town – are set to be incorporated into the Asean Smart City Network. The network aims to increase regional connectivity and is present in 26 cities across the Asean region.

The term ‘Smart City’ refers to a city’s development with smart and sustainable technology to tackle the effects of rapid urbanisation – such as traffic jams, water and air quality, peace and security.

Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Chea Sophara, present at the Private-Public Forum on ‘Cambodia-Japan Urbanisation Development’ in late February, voiced support for the two Japanese government initiatives.

“The ministry will look forward to cooperation, coordinating and providing all services within its capacity and encouraging Japanese business people and businesses to come and invest or partner with Cambodian companies,” he said.