The construction of the border ring road in the past. The government has pledged to use nearly US$27 million from the Border Infrastructure Fund with transparency and accountability. - Photo: Border Infrastructure Development Fund
PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian government has pledged to use nearly US$27 million raised through the Border Infrastructure Development Fund with transparency and accountability, ensuring that donors can monitor how the funds are being used.
The announcement follows the recent conclusion of the fund's collection on Wednesday (Oct 31).
This fund was initiated by Prime Minister Hun Manet in response to concerns raised by some Cambodian citizens regarding the country’s participation in the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) project, from which the government recently withdrew.
Between August 26 and October 31, over 720,000 people, both within Cambodia and abroad, contributed $26,967,609 to the fund.
On November 1, Manet posted on social media reaffirming the government’s commitment to managing and using the funds efficiently and transparently.
A working group led by Kim Bunthan, Minister Delegate attached to the Prime Minister, and Khvan Seam, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and commander of the army’s engineering unit, will oversee the fund's operations.
At a November 1 press conference, Bunthan outlined that the funds would be dedicated to developing infrastructure in the area, primarily to construct a paved border road.
He detailed plans for the road which will be approximately 250 kilometres in length, with a width of seven metres, divided into four segments.
Of this 250km, around 147km will be in Mondulkiri province, and 102km will be in Ratanakkiri, with the project expected to be completed by May 2027, taking 30 months.
Seam, an experienced commander in border road construction, mentioned that current border roads span a total of 2,615km, with 48.1 per cent of this length already completed.
He noted that the new fund will support road demining efforts and essential construction along the border.
"The use of these funds must adhere to principles of transparency, accountability, high cost-efficiency and responsibility, with construction meeting standards for technical specifications, quality, durability and aesthetic appeal.
"However, aesthetics here refers to the natural beauty of mountain forests rather than urban aesthetics," he said during the press conference.
Seam added that donors are welcome to visit and inspect the construction sites where feasible, providing them with the opportunity to observe the project’s progress and impact firsthand. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
