​Government invests between $600- $700 million to build infrastructure nationwide

The Cambodian government has steadily increased its budget to invest between $ 600 million and $ 700 million in infrastructure across the country to boost the national economy.

Varsim Sorya, Ministry of Public Works and Transport spokesman,   said on the afternoon of December 25 that 10 major national road infrastructure projects were being re-studied and under construction nationwide as an investment of the Government to expand connectivity and integration within Cambodia and with countries in the region.

He said the government spends between $400 million and $500 million a year on new infrastructure and $100 million to $200 million on renovations. He said that of those funds, the government contributes between 160 to 200 million dollars, in addition to funding from development partners.

"Infrastructure is the blood vessel or locomotive that drives national economic growth, so the government must invest in infrastructure, roads, waterways, airways and other physical infrastructure," he said.

Dr. Mey Kalyan, Senior Advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council, once said as Cambodia is a newly developed country and is in the process of developing, investment in infrastructure is a priority for the government, as weak infrastructure is a challenge to compete with neighboring countries as well as the economy.

"Investing in infrastructure costs a lot, but the government has to work to grow the national economy to achieve new growth," he said.