Powering up

China has signed a loan agreement to help construct an electricity transmission line in four provinces to boost social and economic development in the Kingdom, officials said yesterday.

Chief of bilateral cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Por Yutha, said that the US$50.8 million loan to install the 1,900 kilometre line across Kampong Speu, Preah Sihanouk, Prey Veng and Kampong Cham provinces was one of six agreements penned on Monday.

The deals were signed during a visit from Fu Ziying, Chinese vice commerce minister.  Por Yutha said that the electricity line would take two years to complete. It Praing, secretary of state of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, said yesterday the new scheme would help strengthen power distribution in rural Cambodia.

Under another deal, China is set to send experts to study the feasibility of an agricultural laboratory.