UNTAC's final load of equipment left the port of Sihanoukville on Jan. 3. Shown

above, the 32,000 ton Russian ship Vladimir Vasaysev, owned by the Black Sea

Shipping Co., heads out to sea with 296 cars and motorcycles destined for action

in Somalia, Haiti, the former Yugoslavia or for storage in UN warehouses in

Italy.

The Russian crew, demonstrating a bit of new-found private sector

entreprenership while in port, unloaded more than a handful of refrigerators,

cars, motorcycles and other home appliances which were sold for cash to the

highest bidder on the wharfs. Once customs got wind of the sales, the ship was

held in port two days until the captain paid a rumored $2,000 to cover the

unpaid taxes.

The responsiblity for delivering the UNTAC equipment to

dockside was maintained by Transair Cambodia.

Singapore will send an

expert to help develop the port of Sihanoukville after the Chinese New Year Day,

the city state's ambassador to Cambodia has announced.

Ambassador Chin

Siat Yoon, who met second Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh last week, also

said that a trade delegation will be sent to study the possibility of

investment.

He added that a liaison office was planned in Phnom

Penh.

Currently Singapore is working on two large-scale projects in the

country, the restoration of Pochentong airport and the development of

Sihanoukville. -AKP