Billion-dollar Chinese hydropower projects get go-ahead in Cambodia

Wed, 03 Mar 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Construction of two Chinese-funded hydropower dams costing more than 1 billion dollars is to begin in south-western Cambodia in the coming weeks, local media reported Wednesday. A report from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy said work would begin this month on a 246-megawatt dam costing 540 million dollars on the Tatai River.

And building would start in April on a 338-megawatt dam costing 496 million dollars on the Lower Russei Chrum River.

The Phnom Penh Post newspaper quoted Suy Sem, the minister for industry, mines and energy, as saying the dams would take up to four years to complete.

"We hope that the two hydroelectricity dams will help complement local demand for electricity in the future," Suy Sem said.

Cambodia suffers from high electricity prices, which have long been a hindrance to foreign investors and economic growth. A number of overseas companies are studying the feasibility of around 20 hydropower dams in the country.

But the opacity surrounding hydropower deals has long made opposition legislators uncomfortable, and they have unsuccessfully called for the contracts to be made public.

Environmentalists too are worried that projects could be pushed through with insufficient consideration given to their social and environmental impacts.

National media last year quoted a senior energy ministry official as saying the government had agreed to buy electricity at 7.45 cents per kilowatt-hour from the Tatai dam, and for 7.35 cents per kilowatt-hour from the Lower Russei Chrum dam.

That commitment has at least one multilateral institution worried.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently warned Phnom Penh against taking on open-ended financial commitments - particularly in the power-generation sector - that could burden the impoverished nation with significant ongoing liabilities.

In its annual country report released in December, the IMF noted it had been given assurances by the authorities that "no explicit government guarantees have been provided" for such projects.

But it said greater transparency was required to monitor the potential risk of contingent liabilities.

"The staff urged the authorities to thoroughly review existing contracts for potential liabilities, and exercise caution when evaluating new investment projects that carry an explicit or implicit government guarantee," the IMF stated.

Cambodia currently operates two hydropower dams which have a combined capacity of 13 megawatts. A third dam - which is being constructed by Chinese firm Sinohydro Corp - is partially operational with a projected final capacity of 193 megawatts.

The Tatai River dam is reportedly to be built by China National Heavy Machinery Corporation, while the Lower Russei Chrum dam is due to be built by China Huadian Hong Kong Limited.

Cambodia rebuilds railway with Australian, ADB aid

PHNOM PENH, March 2 (Reuters) - Cambodia will rebuild its entire railway system by 2013 with the help of the Asian Development Bank , the Australian government and others, its finace minister said at a signing ceremony on Tuesday.

"The project began in 2007 and it will be completed in 2013," Keat Chhon said as the Southeast Asian country received an additional $42 million loan from the ADB and a $21.5 million grant from the Australian government.

Keat Chhon said the ADB had already provided a total of $84 million in loans to help revive the 600 km network.

Another $13 million had come from the OPEC Fund for International Development and Malaysia had contributed 106 km of track worth $2.8 million.

"The railway has played a central role in Cambodia for more than 75 years and many Cambodians see it rightly as a symbol of development and a means of integration with Cambodia's neighbors in the Greater Mekong Sub region and the world beyond," said Kunio Senga, director general of the ADB's Southeast Asia Department.

He said the Cambodian railway would connect with the railway in Thailand, and through it with Malaysia and Singapore.

Australian Ambassador Margaret Adamson said railways would bring new investment.

"Good railways also help the environment and a community's safety by reducing carbon emissions and road accidents."

Toll Holdings of Australia signed a 30-year concession to operate the railway last June, she said.

"They will build Cambodia's human resources capability as well as deliver the railway services. Their presence, I am sure, will also encourage investment by other quality Australian and other foreign companies in Cambodia." prak.chanthul@thomsonreuters.com; +855 2 399 2102; Reuters Messaging: prak.chanthul.reuters.com@reuters.net))

A taste of Cambodia in Vietnam

Num banh choc, a Cambodian breakfast staple, is also a much-loved dish in southern Vietnam Courtesy of Mon Ngon Viet Nam Magazine

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Compiled by Hong Nguyen
VietNews (Hanoi)

Num banh choc, a fish and rice noodle soup from Cambodia, has won a place in the hearts of many in Ho Chi Minh City, the bustling southern metropolis crowded with food lovers.

The fish noodle soup is a breakfast staple for people from the land of Angkor Wat. The dish, which includes freshwater fish and herbs, reflects the Cambodian fondness for fish, one of the country’s cheap and abundant sources of food.

The dish gets its distinctive flavor from prahok, a type of fermented fish paste, commonly used in Cambodian cuisine as a seasoning or a condiment.

A bowl of num banh choc not only satisfies the taste buds but also the eyes of gourmets.

It is consisted of a subtle yellow fish and coconut milk broth with fresh rice noodles, paper-thin chopped banana blossom, cucumber and cabbage and topped off with prahok.

A wide variety of fresh vegetables, herbs and even flowers, including watercress, snake beans and water lily stalks, are also used to add more color and flavor to the sweet, sour and salty fish broth.

The noodles are served with fillets – and the head and guts - of freshwater fish. The fish guts are thoroughly cleaned with salt before being cooked to maintain their crunchy texture.

Fish guts are definitely an acquired taste but are also the most-ordered extra ingredient at num banh choc restaurants.

Num banh choc is on the menu of several restaurants in HCMC’s “Cambodian Town” in District 10.

The Tu Xe Restaurant has been a familiar destination for num banh choc fans since it opened in 1972. The owner of the restaurant is a 74-year-old Vietnamese woman who learned the art of Cambodian cuisine while living in Cambodia.

More and more Vietnamese visit Cambodian Town to sample the rich tastes of cuisine from neighboring Cambodia. Cambodian cuisine is said to be influenced by Chinese and Thai cooking, although Cambodian dishes are not as spicy as Thai food.

Some housewives even travel to Cambodian Town to buy ingredients to create their own Vietnamese versions of Num banh choc at home.

Another Cambodian dish, Hu tieu nam vang (Phnom Penh Noodle Soup), is also near the top of the list of favorite breakfast foods of southern Vietnamese.

Hu tieu nam vang is most often prepared with shrimp, pork, squid, fried spring onions and fresh herbs, although different variations can include pork liver and wonton dumplings.

The increasing popularity of cuisine from Cambodia and other countries is unarguably a reflection of the welcoming nature of HCMC.

The city embraces different cultures and people from all around the world, making it an attractive destination for all adventurous spirits who seek to explore the diversity of the world’s cultures and cuisines.