Cambodia?s 24th Province Breaks Ground

• Proeksa Meas
• 31 December 2015
• Construction Focus
• 2315 Views

After being officially established and included into Cambodia’s administrative system in 2014, infrastructure construction for the nation’s 24th province, Tbong Khmum, kicked off in early January.

Divided by the Upper Mekong River, Tbong Khmum Province was carved out from Kompong Cham Province in the east of Cambodia that stretches across the central lowlands of the Mekong River. It borders the provinces of Kampong Cham to the west, Kratié to the north, Prey Veng to the south, and shares an international border with Vietnam to the east.

The newly-formed province covers an area of 5,250 square kilometers with a total population of 821,000 or 179,833 households. It is made up of six districts; Dambe, Kroch Chhmar, Memot, O’Reang-ou, Ponhea Krek, and Tbong Khmum city where the provincial capital is based.

After the provincial architectural planning master plan was designed by the Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction, construction will now begin with the development of administrative buildings and necessary physical infrastructure such as roads, water, and electricity networks.

The province was established via a royal decree signed in December 2013 by the King upon the Prime Minister’s recommendation. 30 high-ranking officials including the provincial governor, police chief and military chief were appointed in June last year. HE Prach Chan who was the governor of Battambang Province was appointed provincial governor.

Speaking at the ground breaking event for the province’s administrative buildings on 5 January, Prime Minister Hun Sen said the main reason for the split is to move administrative services closer to the people because Kompong Cham Province is too big. 5 January also marked the date that Kompong Cham [the Prime Minister’s homeland] was liberated from the Pol Pot regime before Phnom Penh was liberated on 7 January, 1979.

“We noticed that Kompong Cham is a huge province with close to two million people. Therefore, local administrative services are not always within peoples’ reach,” the Prime Minister said. “The best way to deal with this issue is to establish a new province.”

Recalling that Tbong Khmum used to be the capital in the reign of King Hluong Preah Sdech Kan between 1514 and 1524, the Prime Minister announced that 16 development projects had been approved for the new province starting with vital infrastructure like roads, water, and electricity supply.

“The state will invest in roads, water, electricity, schools, hospitals, and human resource development. It will be developed as a modern city,” he added, calling for assistance from the private sector and other development partners to develop this new municipality.

According to the Prime Minister, some investors are planning property developments like markets, and residential blocks in the province, while major development partners like China have promised to build a hospital there.

Although construction works are at a nascent stage, this infant province already has its own university named Samdech Heng Samrin Tbong Khmum University which was inaugurated late last year to honor Cambodia National Assembly President Heng Samrin who was born there.

Based on the master plan, the province will also host a golf course and football courts in what officials and observers believe will be a new tourism destination which will encourage construction of infrastructure like hotels and resorts.

The area can also be developed into a hub of agro-industry and agro-commerce as the ASEAN railway project will also go through this area, and the prime minister encouraged investors to explore opportunities to develop special economic zones, port facilities, and factories.

In line with these aims, the government will construct National Roads 7, 73, 11, and 8, and another new road that will run through Sre Siem, Tbong Khmum, Kroch Chmar and cross the Mekong by another bridge which will reduce traveling time to and from the province.

The Prime Minister also advised the province to have a long-term development vision for up to 20 years, asserting that, “The master plan shall be a guide for later developers to follow so that the city of Tbong Khmum will prosper according to plan and as a well advanced and developed provincial city,” he stressed.

Besides Tbong Khmum, officials have also announced further split ups in other provinces to improve administrative progress.