Press Release

Embassy of Japan

August 26, 2002

Japanese ODA News

Exchange of Notes for Japan's ODA

Under the high presence of

Samdech HUN SEN
Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia

November 28, 2002 at 09:00 a.m.
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

(Editors are invited for reporting and photo coverage)

With a view to further strengthening friendly and cooperative relations between Japan and Cambodia, the Government of Japan has decided to extend Grant Aid assistance of up to two billion five hundred and seventy-seven million yen (\ 2,577,000,000) approximately equivalent to US$ 21,000,000 , to enable the Royal Government of Cambodia to implement two following projects:

1. Non-Project Grant Aid for Structural Adjustment Support
   (\ 2,000,000,000)
2. Project for Construction of Primary Schools in Phnom Penh
   (\ 577,000,000)

The Notes to these effects will be exchanged on November 28, 2002 at 09:00 a.m. at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, under the high presence of Samdech HUN SEN Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia, between H.E. Mr. HOR Namhong, Senior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and H.E. Mr. Gotaro OGAWA, Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

1. Non-Project Grant Aid for Structural Adjustment Support
(\ 2,000,000,000)

The Japanese Non-Project Grant Aid for Structural Adjustment Support is designed to assist the efforts of the developing countries to restructure their economies in conjunction with the World Bank and IMF programmes. This Grant Aid is used for the purchase of imported goods urgently needed for implementing structural adjustment programmes for the fiscal year 2002. This is the seventh Non-Project Grant Aid for Cambodia. The Government of Japan has extended to Cambodia since 1993 a total amount of \ 14,500,000,000, including this fiscal year, Non-Project Grant Aid for the purpose of contributing to promotion of the economic structural adjustment efforts made by the Royal Government of Cambodia as well as for the mitigation of the economic difficulties, including indebtedness of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The counterpart fund collected in Riels (Cambodian currency) from the selling of imported goods purchased by this Grant Aid will be used for economic and social development projects in Cambodia. Therefore, this grant aid can contribute to Cambodia in two ways: (1) support for balance of payments by directly procuring urgently needed commodities and (2) support for development activities through the counterpart fund itself.

2. Project for Construction of Primary Schools in Phnom Penh
(\ 577,000,000)

Primary schools in Phnom Penh are obliged to conduct over-crowded classes, classes in temporary rooms, multi-shift classes, mobile classes and continuous use of seriously deteriorated dangerous school buildings in order to handle chronic facility shortages.

In order to alleviate such conditions which are characteristic of the densely populated city with limited land availability, three-story buildings will be constructed for six schools with a total number of 147 classrooms (115 new and 32 reconstruct) at the Bak Touk (27 classrooms), Santhor Muk (36 classrooms), Tuol Kok (21 classrooms), Anuwat Reach Theany (24 classrooms), Boeung Salang (21 classrooms) and Phum Russey (18 classrooms) primary schools. Classroom facilities such as desks, chairs and whiteboards will also be supplied. In order to improve the sanitary conditions in the schools as a learning environment, especially for girls, an appropriate number of toilets for students including those with disabilities will be constructed.

As a result of the completion of this project, the increased seating capacity will accommodate the equivalence of additional 9,200 students. Triple-shift classes and mobile classes could be eliminated. The average number of students per classroom at project schools, 56.7 this year (2002), will be reduced to 40.6 by 2005.

Furthermore, the classrooms, which will be constructed through the use of movable partition can be used not only for basic education purposes but also as a meeting rooms or for other social education purposes as well as social activities, such as adult education and other non-education community activities for the benefit of the surrounding communities.

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