Tuesday, December 29, 2009

PM to void 7NG bridge contract

Tuesday, 29 December 2009
By May Kunmakara
The Phnom Penh Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday he would cancel a major bridge contract and slammed senior officials for negligence in the awarding of build-operate-transfer, or BOT, contracts.
Speaking at the launch of a new road between Siem Reap and Poipet, Hun Sen singled out Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Council for Development of Cambodia (CDC) Vice Chairman Sun Chanthol and other CDC officials for granting a contract to 7NG Group [LG-Media note: the 7NG Company was involved in the Dey Krahorm land-grabbing and forced eviction] to build a bridge from Phnom Penh’s Hun Sen Park to Chroy Changvar peninsula. “If the project goes ahead, it will be a great disaster for traffic in Phnom Penh,” he said. “Tell [7NG] that the prime minister announced today the bridge is finished.”
Srey Sothea, 7NG’s managing chairman, had his phone turned off Monday and could not be reached for comment.
Hun Sen also told officials not to award BOT contracts to companies that require government funds to complete the work. “Avoid BOTs that want to make cake without flour,” he said. “From now on, I will kick unsound BOTs away.”

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