… It is indeed a great pleasure for me to return to the district of Kangmeas once again to join with our people in the inauguration ceremony of the Angkor Baan Bailey Bridge and 50 Kilometre rural road, after my presence at the groundbreaking ceremony in February 2002. I am glad to be briefed by the report of HE Governor Cheang Am on overall situation in the province and General Kung Ieng on infrastructural construction in the area. I am very pleased to have seen that we could actually perform real actions and create real achievements for our people. In the late 20th century, no country in this world suffered ill fate of both war and genocide, and endless internal turmoil like Cambodia. Taking the amount of sufferings that our people have gone through, it is time that we all have to unite for the construction and development our country, while reducing poverty among our people.
… It is in this respect that I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all venerable monks and people living in the areas for their efforts and contribution to the construction of the Angkor Baan Bailey Bridge that never exists before and a rural road. Thanks also go to the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Rural Development, Public Works and Transports, Logistics Department of the Ministry of National Defence for the supports they provided to the military engineering team of the Ministry of National in fulfilling the mission. Deep thanks are also expressed to Mr. Imamora of Janese national for the generous offer of resources for the installation of electric lights on the bridge, which in fact has brought about a vision of installing lights for bridges of over 60 meters. We have installed solar energized lights in many places and we have positive response from our people as they actually help reduce their difficulties.
… I am grateful to Gen. Kung Ieng’s mother who has given our nation a good son and his military engineering team not only operates in the district of Kangmeas but all along the rivers from Chhlong district of Kratie to Kroch Chhmar, Dambe, Memot, Koh Sotin, Srey Santhor of Kompong Cham, Pearaing of Prey Veng and Khsach Kandal, Loeuk Dek, Koh Thom and Saang of Kandal province. I am also grateful to the 179 medical unit of Gen. Kao Tri that has deployed with the engineering team in providing medical assistance to our people. The team has built 38 bridges of 1843 metres just in Kompong Cham and seven are built in the district of Kangmeas alone. In the 2003 Khmer New Year people had travelled to their home villages making the city a quiet place and they could do so because first we have complete peace all over the country and second we have better roads and bridges everywhere. As in this area we have paved the road between Prey Tooeung and the market of Peam Chikang already and there are more that needs to be done.
… As far as reducing poverty in real term is concerned, between Peam Chikang and Phnom Penh, our people used to travel by engine boats and it took a long time to arrive to destination. Now it would not take our people longer than one and a half hour by road and if they had to pay Riel 15,000 per person per trip before they now pay only Riel 6000. The Angkor Baan Bridge in place of ferry would also save a good sum of money for our people as well. I wish that our people take these achievements that cost us over one million US dollars as their own because they are for them to use and not me. So this is a message not just for our people in Kangmeas but throughout the country who will benefit from using the bridge and road. It is also important to introduce the concept of equitable distribution of economic growth in our development efforts. While working on development in the western part (of Phnom Penh or country), we also have actual plan and action to develop other parts as well. Tomorrow I will be going to the province of Mondulkiri to inaugurate some national achievements.
… Last Monday I gave a lecture to the Royal Government’s senior officials that not only this incumbent Royal Government or the next Royal Government, each government is obliged to tackle the 10 types of imbalance, which are the strings of one ended knot, namely:
1. The imbalance between demand and supply. While demand gets higher and supply is limited, we thus should focus on tackling the demand side, such as for food and meal, clothing, housing, means of transportation, education and health such as healthcare and treatment.
2. The imbalance between revenue and expenditure of the national budget, focusing on increasing of domestic revenue to be able to invest on and assist people, and ready to implement ASEAN Free Trade Area Agreement, as well as to reduce the dependency on foreign aid and loan.
3. The imbalance between export and import, which would enable Cambodia to expand its exporting capacity, aimed at reducing the imbalance of foreign trade, which is still a big gap.
4. The imbalance between currencies and goods, focusing on promoting economic growth, macro-economic stability, prevention of inflation, purchasing power of Riels.
5. The imbalance between demand for government officials and police and soldiers in relation to Riel currency, which focus on ways and means to appropriately increase salary in accordance with development of national economy.
6. The imbalance between the rise in adult labour forces, graduated students and the employment issue, focusing on investment promotion to create jobs.
7. The imbalance between the development need and the relatively weak human resources, focusing on investment on education and training of human resources.
8. The imbalance between the development need and weak infrastructure, focusing on investment efforts which give priority to sectors related to canals, roads, bridges, rail roads, ports, airport and electricity, etc.
9. Imbalance between the transparent and sustainable development need and the ineffective governance, focusing on strengthening of good governance, anti-corruption, improving effectiveness of service delivery for people, which are the back-bone of an effective and sustainable development.
10. The imbalance between the need for national economy integration into regional and world economy and the weakness of national economic infrastructure, and institutional capacity, which requires the Royal Government to pay attention on modernization of economic infrastructure, legal framework and institutional capacity building.
… We have three strategies to overcome the ten imbalances – first is to increase economic growth to between 6% and 7%, second is to attain equitable distribution of economic growth and third is to manage and control sustainable use of natural resources.
On that occasion Samdech Hun Sen offered Riel 15 million to the pagoda of Sovann Raingsi in the Angkor Baan district for the construction of river embankment, ten million Riel to the pagoda of Peam Chikang, a race boat to the pagoda of O Trakuon, ten tons of cement to the pagoda of Niroth, three million Riel to the Sach So Mosque, five million Riel each to the pagodas of Keo Muni, Antung Sar, Bopha Suorsdey, Munisakor, Pur Sala, the Mosque III and four million Riel to the Pongro Mosque. Samdech granted two school buildings of ten classrooms to the people of Kang Tanoeung commune, one school building of six classrooms to the Primary School of Kohe, a school building of six classrooms of the Primary School of Reaypai and a Bailey Bridge in repalcement of an old wooden bridge at the canal of Prek Thmey.
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