PHNOM PENH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved an additional 35 million U.S. dollars credit to Cambodia for improving climate-resilient rural roads in three provinces, its press release said on Saturday.
The credit will support the Cambodia Road Connectivity Improvement Project (RCIP), which aims to improve climate-resilient road access to markets, health services, and schools across Kratie, Kampong Cham, and Tboung Khmum provinces.
The three provinces have a population of over 2 million people, of whom 80 percent live in rural areas, the press release said, adding that the RCIP was approved in July 2020, with financing of 100 million U.S. dollars.
This additional credit will help pay for higher than anticipated project costs, mainly for road works contracts, it said, adding that high inflation and price increases of key inputs, including fuel and bitumen, over the past three years have resulted in higher costs than estimated in 2019 before the approval of the original project.
Currently, road rehabilitation works have been underway across 130 km of targeted national and provincial roads, and 142 out of 270 km of targeted rural roads, the press release said.
"Access to health and school facilities and moving goods to markets, in particular during the rainy season, has posed great challenges for Cambodian people in rural areas," Maryam Salim, World Bank country manager for Cambodia, said.
"Also, poor road conditions, disruptions caused by floods, and high transportation costs are major impediments to access to health care and emergency care for expectant mothers," she added.
The project is being carried out by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Rural Development. ■
