Kampot International Tourism Port to Start Operations Before 2025
The Kampot International Tourism Port will open temporarily by the third quarter of 2024 as a short-term pilot program and operations are set to run normally before the new year. Photo: Ministry of Public Works and Transport
- By Nhek Sreyleak
- May 6, 2024 12:00 PM
PHNOM PENH – The Kampot International Tourism Port will open temporarily by the third quarter of 2024 as a short-term pilot program and operations are set to run normally before the new year.
The announcement was made on May 4 by Government Spokesperson Pen Bona.
The construction started in 2018 and was close to completion in 2022, with some minor parts still being developed as of May 2024. The port is located in Chum Kriel commune, Kampot province, at the mouth of the Teuk Chhou River.
“The port is not yet operating as no company has been chosen for running it. Based on the agreement between the government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), there must be a public bidding following the public-private framework,” Peng Ponea, the minister of Public Works and Transport, said.
The port is part of a “Tourism Infrastructure Development Project” under the ADB. The regional public bank provided $10 million in financing for the project.
The minister stressed that the company chosen for operation must have sufficient investment and be experienced in running a port. The government is finalizing the bidding process to select the port operator, which should be known by the end of the second quarter of the year.
“To ensure the security and sustainability in the port, the government requires private companies to follow some duties. These include expanding the waterways, further studying technical navigation, installing navigation signs, and investing in port safety infrastructure,” Ponea said.
These measures will ensure the tourism port meets international technical standards, the minister added.
Located in one of the country’s coastal provinces, the port will become an important international waterway for transporting tourists to the southern islands and connecting Kampot province to the world, boosting the local tourism sector.
Originally written in Khmer ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Meng Seavmey for Cambodianess.
