World Bank Approves US$100 million to Support Cambodia’s Road Improvement

• 17 July 2020
• Local News
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The World Bank approved a US$100 million credit line on 17 July to support road infrastructure construction projects in Cambodia, targeting the local communities and the rural road system.

The project entitled ‘Cambodia Road Connectivity Improvement Project’ aims to enhance rural communities’ access to critical services such as health centres, referral hospitals, schools and markets, through the improvement of climate-resilient rural roads, according to a World Bank press release.

The targeted areas for this project include Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum, and Kratie provinces. Those provinces have a total population of over 2 million people, of whom 80% live in rural areas.

“Access to health and school facilities and moving goods to markets, in particular during the rainy season, has posed great challenges for Cambodian people in rural areas,” said Inguna Dobraja, World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia.

“The new project will help better connect people to services, reduce disruptions, and generate jobs for local communities during road construction, thus supporting economic recovery,” she said.

The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Rural Development.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Vasim Sorya said on 17 July that the project would help contribute a lot to the road restoration and improvement scheme in Cambodia, particularly for provincial and rural roads.

According to the World Bank, rural roads account for over 75% of Cambodia’s total road network, yet only 5% are paved. A changing climate, heavy rainfalls and flooding pose an increasing risk of disruptions for road connectivity.

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