Architectural plans for the building to house Cambodia's first stock exchange will be finalised before the end of the month, a Ministry of Economy and Finance official said Thursday.

But Mey Vann, director of the ministry's industrial financial department, said it was unlikely the building would be completed before the stock exchange was launched.

"We will be looking for a temporary place to open the stock exchange, but we don't know yet when it will officially open," he said. "We know it cannot be launched on September 9, but we don't have another date yet."

Initial designs for the building, which will be located in the Phnom Penh satellite development of Camko City, were sent back for modifications in July for not being Khmer enough.

Duk-kon Kim, vice president of World City Co, the South Korean company building Camko City, declined to comment Thursday. He earlier said it would take eight months to complete the US$6 million project and a further three months to test electronic equipment on-site before the building could open.