PHNOM Penh waste disposal company Cintri has announced it will spend an additional US$1 million this year on a new 30-hectare garbage dump to be constructed at a site near Choeung Ek killing fields, 17 kilometres south of the city.

Construction on the new dump site is slated to begin in early 2009, and the first 11 hectares should be up and running within four months, the company said. The dumpsite should be in operation for 35 to 40 years.

The solid waste generated by Phnom Penh has been increasing at a rate of 13 percent each year, and the government has recently allowed Cintri to increase its garbage collection services from 300 tonnes per day to 1,000, said the deputy director of Cintri, Seng Chamrouen. He added that this will allow his company to expand the cleanliness of the capital's streets.

"The garbage in Phnom Penh has increased for many reasons," he says. "The number of sellers in markets and public places has increased.

Moreover, there have been many national festivals recently, and people are not learning how to properly deal with rubbish. It is still being left in public places where our collection services do not operate. People will do whatever they can to keep their homes clean."

Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said equipping the dump with modern technology is a top priority.

He added that the government agreed to expand the width of the road to allow large garbage trucks better access  to the site.