An Effort That Benefits All

• 31 December 2015
• Association Focus
• 2099 Views

After continued anarchic sand pumping along Cambodia’s rivers has affected the river banks and water quality, the government has decided to suspend and review the activities of sand pumping businesses following a similar ban over a year ago.

After realizing that prohibition has seriously affected the nation’s thriving construction industry since thousands of businesses require an increasing amount of sand, Neak Oknha Pung Keav Se, Chairman of the Cambodia Constructors Association (CCA), a private group of almost 100 members from construction-related businesses, has requested permission from the government to start limited sand pumping to rescue the construction industry.

In a letter sent to Ministry of Mines and Energy dated 7 April acquired by Construction and Property Magazine, Neak Oknha welcomed the government’s intervention to enhance the management of sand pumping with the common aim of achieving sustainable sand pumping. However, he also expressed the negative effects of the ban on the nation’s thriving construction industry which requires an increasing amount of sand.

“On behalf of the Cambodia Constructors Association, which is a private institution representing the construction industry, I have observed and researched that over 10,000 cubic meters of sand are needed daily in Cambodia. So if the government postpones sand pumping too long it will cause a shortage of sand supply on projects across the entire the country which could lead to a recession in Cambodia’s construction sector,” he said in the letter.

Neak Okhna worried that, “Moreover, without enough sand, construction sites must resort to shutting down which will leave thousands of workers unemployed and strongly affect their livelihoods.”

In response, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which faces difficulty in balancing socio-economic development and sustainable environment protection, said in a letter to CCA dated 13 April that Construction and Property Magazine has acquired that it acknowledges that the prohibition has affected construction sites across the entire country and workers’ livelihoods.

As a solution, since 10 April, the Ministry has licensed the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) to start pumping sand and supplying the market, with 20,000 cubic meters a day daily to adequately supply the market.

In the meantime, it will also publicly launch the sand pumping businesses in some areas after the traditional Khmer New Year celebration.

“These solutions will ensure the stability of sand supply quickly while the sand price can also be maintained at a reasonable price,” the Ministry said in its letter.