Cambodian govt approves construction of first waterway linking capital to coastal province

PHNOM PENH, May 21 (Xinhua): The Cambodian government has approved the construction of the first-ever waterway connecting the Bassac River in Phnom Penh with the sea in the southwest Kep province, said government chief spokesman Phay Siphan.

The approval was made during a Council of Ministers meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Siphan said.

Siphan said the 180-kilometer Bassac River Navigation and Logistics System will link between the Bassac River in the capital and the sea in Kep province, passing through Kandal, Takeo, and Kampot.

"It will be the first time in the history of Cambodia's waterway transport sector that there is a linkage between the Mekong River system and a sea route," he wrote on his official Facebook page.

The new waterway project is estimated to cost about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars and it will take about four years for the project to be constructed, he added.

Siphan said the project will importantly contribute to the country's economic development as it will help reduce both delivery time and distance.

According to the official, a total population of 1.6 million currently live on both sides of the waterway. - Xinhua