Phnom Penh: Mr. Keo Ratanak, Minister of Mines and Energy, said that sand dredging that is legal and accepted by relevant ministries and institutions refers to opening navigation routes to facilitate the transportation of goods.
Mr. Keo Ratanak’s remarks came after a heated discussion on social media about sand dredging in Prek Khsay and Peam Meanchey communes, Peam Rok district, Prey Veng province, after a clash between fishermen and a private company’s sand dredging team.
In order for the public to understand clearly, the Minister of Mines came out to explain the sand dredging activity in front of the minister’s own house, located on the riverbank near Kien Khleang pagoda in Chroy Changvar district, saying that sand dredging that is legally approved by the ministry has provided many benefits, especially Facilitate the opening of shipping lanes.
He explained that “the Royal Government’s sand dredging has five main goals. First, this sand dredging is not the main goal to generate income. The first important point of the Royal Government is to dredge sand along rivers such as the Mekong River, such as large rivers, creeks or major tributaries. The first major goal is to open shipping lanes. What should Cambodia do to make our waterways a place where goods can be transported and transported in and out at the lowest cost?”
For facilitating shipping lanes to transport goods, Mr. Keo Rattanak compared the transportation of goods by water to be easier and cheaper than expensive land and air transportation, while Cambodia is competing with other countries in the world in terms of demand for water transportation.
He said that in the past, Cambodia used to travel by sea, but this waterway has not been opened to its full potential yet. Therefore, Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Samdech Thip Dei Hun Manet initiated the construction of the Funan Techo Canal to connect transportation and travel along the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers to the sea through Kampot province to the sea, in order to help transport Cambodian goods to overseas markets more easily.
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