Kep's provincial governor has filed a formal request to have the water supply licence granted to Western Coastal Development Co revoked after the company failed to make any headway on a clean water project over four years.

In 2008, Western Coastal Development Co won a water supply licence from the Ministry of Industry, Minerals and Energy to provide a sanitised water plant and supply system throughout the province.

“But until now, we haven’t seen not only any water linkage or network but also the company has not provided a solution for the remainder of compensation for thirteen families that were displaced by the project,” Kep governor Ken Satha told the Post.

Satha said he had petitioned the Ministry to annul Western Coastal’s water supply licence to pave the way for another company to takeover the project.

“The lack of sanitised water structures has adversely affected the area and been an obstacle to the progress of many large investment projects in the province which is regarded as one of the best natural and coastal tourism sites located on-shore,” he said.

Tan Sokchea, director of the Potable Water Supply Department at the Ministry, told the Post yesterday that he had received the proposal from the Kep provincial governor concerning the withdrawal of Western Coastal’s licence.

“Now, I am preparing legal documents to cancel the licence of the company on the basis of the proposal,” he said.

Phal Theany, the owner of Western Coastal Development Co, said the company has been hit with financial shortages due to the widespread economic crisis and she couldn’t secure bank loans. However, she added there had been progress.

“I don’t oppose the cancellation, but we should be compensated with some money, because I spent nearly half a million US dollars to construct the sanitised water reservoir,” she said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at [email protected]