Thursday, 3 July 2008

Australia Announced to Provide US$30 Million to the Electric Energy Sector in Indochina

Posted on 2 July 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 567

“The Australian Foreign Minister announced that his government will provide US$30 million to help develop electric energy in the three countries of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.

“According to the announcement by the Australian Embassy on 1 July 2008, Mr. Stephen Smith, the Australian Foreign Minister, spoke about providing these funds during his visit in Vietnam.

“Mr. Stephen Smith announced that Australia will provide funds to countries in Asia to meet their urgent needs for the supply of electricity with sustainability.

“Mr. Stephen Smith said that ‘Australia will proved more than US$30 million through the World Bank for the period of four years, in order to improve the supply of electric energy in rural areas, to reduce the loss of energy during distribution, and to push the development of methods to use new sources of electric energy in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.’

“He added, ‘In Cambodia, only 6% of all families have access to electricity. Australia will provide US$12,300,000 to support the expansion of the supply of electricity to 13,000 families and to some enterprises in rural areas.’

“He continued, ‘Some funds will also be provided as loans to guarantee new investments for new energy resources, and to provide cookers using bio-substances to reduce the effect by greenhouse gas and by the pollution of the atmosphere.’

“This initiate was made based on the basis of a strong cooperative program which has been used previously in Cambodia. The government of Australia will provide approximately Australian Dollars 61,200,000 (approx. US$56,600,000) as development aid for Cambodia from 2008 to 2009 (from June 2008 to July 2009). The priority sectors of this cooperation include agriculture, rural development, the health sector, and law and judicial reforms.

“Nowadays, Cambodia has only about 230 megawatt of electricity for the supply in cities and other populated areas, and in order that all citizens have access to electricity, Cambodia needs more than approximately 1,000 megawatt.

“According to the plan, the Cambodian government intends to distribute electricity countrywide by 2010, and important electric sources are to come from investment in hydro-electric plants and from imports from other countries.”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4630, 2.7.2008

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