Japan Provides $392,371 for Constructing Road, Rehabilitating Irrigation and Strengthening Agricultural Cooperatives

Phnom Penh: Friday, 18th December 2020 and base on Press Release No.39 PR-20/EoJ and the Government of Japan has agreed to provide $392,371 in total for three recipient organizations under the framework, The Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (KUSANONE Grant). The Grant Contracts were signed today between H.E. Mr. MIKAMI Masahiro, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the representatives of the three recipients respectively, to carry out the following projects.

1. The Project for Road Improvement in Andong Teuk Commune, Botum Sakor District, Koh Kong Province ($196,350)

Recipient: Koh Kong Provincial Department of Public Works and Transport
In this project, 750 meters of an unpaved road will be paved with concrete and 2 pipe culverts will be installed for stagnant water prevention at Botum Sakor district in Koh Kong province. It is expected to benefit more than 2,400 people by providing better access to public services such as schools, markets, and health centers, and also accelerating regional economic activities by making transportation of agricultural crops easy.

2. The Project for Rehabilitating Roung Damrey Irrigation in Kampong Chhnang Province ($90,158) 

Recipient: Kampong Chhnang Provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology In this project, 940 meters of exiting old embankment will be rehabilitated at Rolea Biear district in Kampong Chhnang province. It is expected to benefit more than 2,300 local people by securing efficient water supply for agricultural activities and the rehabilitated embankment used as an access road to transport agricultural crops easily and result in improvement of their quality of life.

3. The Project for Strengthening Agricultural Cooperatives in Koh Nheak District and Sen Monoroum City, Mondulkiri Province ($105,863)

Recipient: Mondulkiri Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In this project, a warehouse and a rice milling machine will be provided at Samaki Meanrith Agricultural Cooperative at Koh Nheak district. A vegetable shipping center with cool storage will also be constructed at Samaki Monorom Agricultural Cooperative at Saen Monourom city in Mondulkiri province. It is expected that approximately 60 farmers belong to those Agricultural Cooperatives and 390 households at the project site will gain benefit from improvement in the quality of their agricultural products and added value chain thorough Agricultural Cooperative business.

These assistances are based on the commitment of co-chair’s statement of 13th Mekong-Japan foreign minister’s meeting on 9 July 2020 which says “Implementing approximately 91 million USD worth Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Project in FY 2020 as KUSANONE Mekong SDGs initiative, aimed at supporting the social and economic development of local communities and villages across the Mekong region”.

Japan’s “KUSANONE” Projects started in Cambodia in 1991 in order to support Cambodia’s reconstruction and development at the grassroots level. The assistance aims to protect those who are vulnerable due to various factors such as poverty and/or misfortunes that directly threaten their lives, livelihood, and dignity, as well as to promote the self-reliance of local communities. Since 1991, the Government of Japan has provided over $62 million for mainly local authorities and non-governmental organizations to implement 635 KUSANONE projects throughout Cambodia.

Source: Embassy of Japan in Cambodia & Photo by FYN Media