May 31, 2024

All systems go: PM says Funan Techo Canal megaproject to start in August

The historic and game-changing Funan Techo Canal megaproject, which has united Cambodian people, is moving ahead despite invalid and incessant unwarranted opposition from some inconsiderate nations and ideologically bankrupt political has beens.

Prime Minister Hun Manet made the major announcement yesterday that its construction will begin in August this year, with most of the funding coming from local investors.

Early this week, Senate President Hun Sen debunked fake news on social media that he had himself set June 12, 2024, for the groundbreaking of the construction of the Funan Techo Canal.

“The decision on when to break ground for the construction is solely the prerogative of Prime Minister Hun Manet,” Mr Hun Sen added.

And the Premier just announced his decision at the inauguration ceremony of achievements in the Buddhist Cultural Centre of Cambodia in Preah Suramarit-Kossamak Kirirom National Park in Phnom Sruoch district of Kampong Speu province yesterday.

“The beginning of construction will not be too long to allow for too many imaginations; to stop the imaginations, we have to get it done,” Mr Hun Manet said.

“We will break ground in August.”

Despite ongoing objections and expressions of concern from external parties, there’s undeniable evidence that the imminent Funan Techo Canal is fostering a strong sense of patriotism and prioritising Cambodia’s national interests. This unity is a rare occurrence in Cambodia’s modern history, reminiscent of the significance attributed to structures like the Independence Monument.

“With a budget of over $1 billion, this might even cost less than some past projects, for example, the airport,” Mr Hun Manet added. “However, this project is more special than the other infrastructure projects. No project has so far brought such a strong sense of unity to Cambodian people all over the world.”

“Some people may be objecting to this project. Some have been calling for people to stop believing in this project. But this project represents a strong sense of nationalism as it has gained the support of Cambodian people from all walks of life.”

He added that construction may take 5–6 years to complete.

Since the project’s announcement, Vietnam, Cambodia’s neighbour, has repeatedly voiced worries about its environmental impact on the Mekong Delta. Additionally, various foreign entities have expressed concerns about the canal potentially enhancing Chinese naval power in the region, primarily due to the likelihood of a Chinese company being involved in its construction.

Nonetheless, the Premier also made it clear yesterday that most of the capital for the construction will come from local Cambodian investors.

“I would like to inform you that most investors in this project will be Cambodians,” he told the audience at the ceremony. “As long as Cambodians are united and willing to do it, we can do it. Even without foreign investors, Cambodians can do it! This is for the benefit of Cambodia. And later, most of the investors will be Cambodians.”

Despite this, Mr Hun Manet revealed that the government is now in negotiations with a Chinese company, which can fulfil the technical role, to join the investment, but even this will not delay the construction.

“Even the elders here will be able to ride a boat on the canal when the construction is completed in the next 5–6 years,” he added. “Your support is the biggest motivation.”

Many scholars and leading think tanks have also shown strong support for the historic canal. Chheng Kimlong, President of the Asian Vision Institute, for example, described the latest decision by the Prime Minister as “the right one at the right time”.

“A study by over 40 experts for 26 months on the project should be adequate for the government to make a decision,” he explained. “It has been guaranteed that the canal will have no major effects on the Mekong River or the surrounding area.”

He added that, however strongly the Vietnamese government is objecting to the project, he is not seeing any possible interference that may halt or delay the construction from the outside.

“Cambodia is actually constructing the canal within its territory and a tributary of the Mekong River, thus presenting no violation against the principle of the Mekong River Commission,” he noted.

According to the blueprint, the Funan Techo Canal stretches 180 kilometres, originating from Prek Takeo on the Mekong River, passing through Prek Ta Ek and Prek Ta Hing on the Bassac River, Koh Thom district, and extending into Kep province. Its route traverses four provinces: Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, and Kep, encompassing a population of 1.6 million residing along its banks.

Measuring 100 metres in width upstream and 80 metres downstream, with a depth of 5.4 metres (a navigation depth of 4.7 metres and a safety margin of 0.7 metres), the canal features two lanes for safe navigation. Additionally, the project incorporates three waterway dams, 11 bridges, a 208-kilometre pedestrian walkway, navigation aids, and other river-crossing infrastructure. It is estimated to cost $1.7 billion under a BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract.

Upon its completion, the canal is anticipated to bolster agricultural activities, generate employment opportunities, and reduce container transportation costs from Phnom Penh to the sea.

So Naro, the Minister delegate attached to the Prime Minister in charge of ASEAN affairs, has mentioned on multiple occasions that the Funan Techo Canal will not only give Cambodia economic benefits but also offer the Kingdom more diplomatic independence by enhancing its self-reliance.

Earlier this month, Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), said during a press conference that while the impacts of the Funan Techo Canal construction on local residents are inevitable, the government is planning fair compensation and resettlement with a similar approach taken with the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Motorway, another iconic infrastructure project opened to the public in October 2022.

“Each project has its own committees to settle this issue. I don’t have the answer to the question of how much, but the Ministry of Economy and Finance will come up with a number by estimating the prices of real estate based on their size and land area,” he said.

Yet he also urged people not to seek personal profit by purchasing land in the area with the intention of selling it to the government once construction begins.

“I would like to call on all Cambodian people to join hands with the government to deliver on the promise and build this infrastructure,” Chanthol said.