The sum will be used to build a ferry terminal at Kampot as well as on other tourism infrastructure improvements. Eric Sidgwick, the ADB’s director for Cambodia, says the port will help bolster burgeoning tourist activity in this region of Southeast Asia.
The director continued by stating Kampot Port would also offer an extra gateway on the Thai gulf coast stretching between southern Vietnam and Thailand. Cambodian authorities had already worked out a provisional time scale for the construction of the port facility and were just waiting for confirmation they would get the funding.
The port will be located in the Teuk Chhu area of Kampot and building is expected to start in the new year. Town officials say the port should be ready for use five years after construction starts. Khoy Khun Huor, the governor of Kampot, was upbeat on hearing the news the ADB had okayed the funds for the port and said it would stimulate economic growth.
Kampot is a relaxing town straddling the river from which it takes its name. The town draws tourists with its pleasing fusion of Asian and French colonial architecture, unique statues and easy access to Bokor National Park.
Asian bank endorses Kampot ferry port loan
News in Asia
Asia’s equivalent of the World Bank has endorsed a loan that will enable Cambodia to build a new ferry port in the southwest region of the country. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given the green light for the release of US$18 million in loans.