New Achievements on Land of Peace
[…] I am glad to join with our people to launch the groundbreaking ceremony and to allow use of underpass (at Chaom Chao) – two achievements in one event. Firstly, we will have, as reported by Mr Pung Khieu Sae, two bridges built – one concrete bridge of 60 meters length and 21 meters wide from Koh (island) Norea to the national road 1, and another cable suspension bridge of 824 meters length and 24.5 meters width from Koh Norea to Koh Pich. Secondly, the mayor of Phnom Penh requested that I inform our people of provisional use of the underpass at Chaom Chao, which is 488 meters in length in the district/Khan Po Senchey, Phnom Penh.
We are here today to launch the construction of a new infrastructural achievement, which will serve development requirement but also solve issue of traffic congestion. Some say it is a new achievement on the land of peace. It is a good way to put it. It is true. Were there no peace, we would not have been able to do that. Under the leadership of Samdech Preah Baat Norodom Sihanouk, Preah Borom Ratanak Kaod, in between 1970 and 1975, we have this bridge at Jroy Jangva as public property and interest. The war has blown out the bridge. In 1995, we rebuilt it. To say it is a new development on the land of peace is correct. It is the same land but, for once, it was under war. Now, we are working on the land of peace […]
Phnom Penh – Developed Extensively and Intensively
I just talked to Deputy Prime Minister, HE Chea Sophara, that once the bridges are ready, there would be increasing volume of traffic in front of my house at the Independence Monument. In the 1990s, though we have taken lands from Kandal province to attach to Phnom Penh – Khan Dangkao, the Pochentong airport, Chba Ampeo, Jroy Jangva, the capital was still about 300 square kilometers in size. At present, the capital city is covering nearly 700 square kilometers. We can say that the city has developed extensively (in size) and intensively (in depth). We have taken so much land off Kandal province to attach it to Phnom Penh […] intensively, where on one hectare of land there were about 3,000 or 5,000 square meters of buildings, now on the same size of land, there would be 50,000 square meters or more […].
I thank OCIC, a Cambodian Expatriates Company, for the efforts of developing Koh Pich and Jory Janva so far. Now it is working on developing the island of Norea while it is actively engaging in developing a new airport. For these works, the company has been working contributing to the efforts made by the Royal Government and others in the private sector for the progress of our country. Some foreigners who have returned to Cambodia after ten or twenty years amazed by new developments and achievements too […]
Private Sector Plays Important Role Ever in Covid-19 Time
I do not understand when some people said we are getting poorer […] how could life any poorer that when we were under the regime of Pol Pot. In Banteay Meanjei, though affected by flood, our people came in nice clothes to the gathering for humanitarian assistance. They came either with their means of transportation or with our helps. We may still be poor but we can say we are in two favorable conditions. Firstly, we are poor in time of peace that we no longer run from fighting for life. We are stable in mind for what is happening in the country. Secondly, we have moved far away from the sort of poverty in 1979 situation, when we had nothing but bare hands. We did the best we could to stand up against unjust punishment from foreign circles, who by then continued to recognize the Khmer Rouge at the United Nations […]
That the private sector has made such contribution in this difficult time is very helpful to our efforts. While giving a talk at the World Economic Forum on partnership between state and private sector, I made my point clearly that in this circumstance the private sector has played important role more than ever. In Cambodia, particularly, private companies are doing the best they can to avoid going bankrupt or closing down productions. We have taken numerous measures, including those of taxes, so that companies can go on. That they go on with their production, the Cambodian people will continue to have jobs and incomes […]
We have so far about 300,000 people who have lost their jobs […] while new jobs created. In this development, some of the 300,000 people losing jobs can also find new jobs. This is what I called important role played by the private sector. While avoiding bankruptcy, closing down, they are continuing to provide jobs and income for people. Secondly, there are also new investments. I noticed there was not much slowdown in construction in Phnom Penh […] in this phase of construction the project has offered jobs for over 700 people. When it is in full swing mode, the project will provide up to 7,000 jobs. When the operation phase kicks in, there will be about 10,000 jobs more.
Covid-19 Cancels Water Festival, Takes Lives, Destroys Economy
[…] Covid-19 has destroyed not only Cambodia but also countries in the world. Many hotels closed down. In 2019, we received 6.6 million tourists. As of this time, we do not have foreign tourists anymore. We still have local tourists though […] on 30 October, it will be the Cambodian water festival. As we cancel the boat-racing event because of Covid-19 in Phnom Penh, people may still celebrate other activities such as praying to the moon and eating flatten newly harvested rice. Civil servants and workers are going to have their holidays. There will be some touring the country.
Our economy will continue to keep going though in a less impressive mode. We still have incomes that is able to support payrolls for the Royal Government and the armed forces, and to cover other expenses. In the first six month of this year, we have had a surplus of nearly 200 million USD. In the second six month, the amount has decreased to making both ends meet. Covid-19 can do us damages but it can never kill us. We must not underestimate its destructive force, though […] we must continue to protect ourselves from it. Covid-19 not only takes human life, it also destroys people’s livelihood and economy of countries in the world. However, impacts have not yet reached a level that stops us from going forwards […]
Voice of Ho Van Commanding Demonstration at (PR of) China Embassy
We continue to make our journey. It requires peace. We must keep peace. I should take this moment to send a message to Ho Van […] that he should think of his wife and children in Phnom Penh. (We have) his voice commanding on phone […] to demonstrators against (the so called) presence of the Chinese military (in Cambodia) at the (PR) China’s embassy […] that he has presented himself a traitor (commanding from abroad), why else can we not take actions against those inside the country? They received order from the traitor. The authority or the court can take actions. It is legal […]
Why are they organizing demonstration in Phnom Penh and abroad on this issue of the presence of Chinese military in Cambodia? Does China really have army in Cambodia? Since when did Cambodia allow China to do so? It has been so annoying that some foreign countries, plus those Cambodians, are trying to cook up the situation. Why can they not listen to the Prime Minister? Do you have proof to reveal (what could be the) Cambodia’s secret agreement with China to have 30 years exclusive access to the (military) port at Ream? If you have no proof to make your case, it means that you are telling a lie. In the Cabinet meeting, I reminded people of the coup in 1970 against the King Father using this pretext of the presence of Viet Cong in Cambodia. Now, what is your intention towards me when you keep talking about (the so-called) presence of Chinese military. The group of traitors also incited people to rise in action against the Chinese embassy […]
Let me send a message to his wife that she should not involve in distribution of money (among demonstrators) […] we have Ho Van’s voice recorded (when he ordered the demonstrators) on Zoom […] they are leaving no chance to cause trouble at all. This time, (the demonstration he commanded) does not demand for rights but withdrawal of Chinese troops from Cambodia, while there were no Chinese troops at all. We have Chinese people who are technicians and investors. Other countries in the world have them too […] while people are suffering from flood – lives lost and livelihood of tens of thousands affected, not a single word uttered except “to bring (me) down.” They may wait for another life […]
Chaom Chao Underpass Operational, Post-Flood Actions of Four Ministries
Let me take this opportune moment to inform our people that we have allowed provisional operation of the underpass – 488 meters in length and 8.5 meters in width that we allowed the Cambodian Expatriates Company to build as part of the Chaom Chao overpass project […]. I think the telephone company should figure out how to secure their signal through the underpass to ensure connection while going through. I think Cellcard could take the lead this quest […]
We have here today ministers from all four ministries – Public Works and Transport, Water Resource and Meteorology, Rural Development, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. We have quite a number of roads – national, provincial, district, and bridges damaged by flood. A number of dams fell apart. As the situation of this size is not normal, it requires also an abnormal procedure. The said ministries must not wait for report of assessments from their subordinate levels. Each ministry must send out its own national level team in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to work with local authorities as immediate as the flood recedes.
We must get to work on repairing and restoring the damages […] to allow our people to transport their produces. Most of the works in flood-affected areas concerned the Ministry of Rural Development. It is not over with our presence to offer them relief packages. The main task here is to help them to get back to their ability to go on with production again […] we must be swift to make sure that people, after suffering one hardship, will not face with another one […]
We have reserve fund, which also include the amount reserved every year for disaster management. We have not used it yet. Normally, we will let go of the fund only in December, when we are sure there are no more threat of unknown disasters. That is my guidance of what to do to make sure our people benefit quickly from our responsive actions. I will monitor. Where there is slow response, I will make my presence there […] I hope the concerned minister/s would not be there after me. We have budget. We are not in a situation that we have no money to fix damages of roads and water canals. Our plan to spend 150 million USD for the infrastructure at Siem Reap will also take off on 16 November […]./.
