Cambodia: Ministry calls for private sector aid in logistics

• Jun 26, 2019

With the aim of enhancing road, waterway, and railroad connectivity, the Public Works Ministry has called on the private sector to participate in the acceleration of the establishment of a logistics complex in Phnom Penh.

Pich Chhieng, director of the general directorate of logistics at the ministry, yesterday said a pre-feasibility study on the construction of the logistics complex has kicked off, and that it will take six months to complete.

Mr Chhieng noted that the project is part of the Logistics Master Plan, which is supported by Asian Development Bank.

He said that upon the project’s completion, the complex will provide intermodal shifts from land to railway to waterway transport, reduce logistics costs, increase competitiveness of Cambodian products and services, and integrate the Kingdom into regional and global supply chains.

Mr Chhieng noted that the project will be developed under the Public-Private Partnership cooperative arrangement.

Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport, yesterday said the Phnom Penh logistics complex will be located in an area connected to main roads, railways and waterways.

“We want to establish the complex in a point where we can transport [goods] via main roads, railway and waterway,” Mr Chanthol said. “The place will be somewhere near the Phnom Penh Port, which is suitable for logistics.”

He noted that the government is seeking private partners to join the project. So far, no one from the private sector has yet applied to join.

“We are finding partners [for] Public-Private Partnership, but we have not found partners yet, we have the project,” Mr Chanthol said. “We want partners to join in the building of the logistics complex.”

Sin Chanthy, president of the Cambodia Freight Forwarders Association, yesterday welcomed the move.

“We believe the complex has the potential to improve the logistics sector,” Mr Chanthy said. “We hope it will serve as a place where all transportation-related documents can be processed, thus saving companies’ time.”

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50617653/ministry-calls-for-private-sector-aid-in-logistics/