China Eximbank provides RMB 329.7 million government concessional loan for Phase 1 of Staung River Basin Water Resources Development Project in Kampong Thom Province

Project narrative

On April 8, 2013, China Eximbank and the Government of Cambodia signed an RMB 329,750,000 government concessional loan (GCL) agreement [China EXIMBANK GCL No. 2012 (19) Total No. (464)] for Phase 1 of the Staung River Basin Water Resources Development Project in Kampong Thom Province. The borrowing terms of the GCL were as follows: 20-year maturity, 7-year grace period, and 1.25% fixed interest rate. The purpose of this project was to construct an irrigation dam and increase the supply of irrigated water to arable land in Kampong Thom Province. Upon completion, the project expected to cover a river catchment area of 4,357 km² — identified as a potential storage reservoir for irrigation in a 1984 study conducted by Mekong River Committee (MRC) — and hold about 550 million cubic meters of water. The project commenced on September 9, 2013 and was expected to reach completion in September 9, 2020.