THE company that runs Phnom Penh's rubbish-collection service said it is negotiating a planned hike in the city's dump site rental cost of up to 800 percent.

However, the city's deputy governor denied any such increase was in the cards.

Seng Chamrouen, the deputy director of refuse-removal firm Cintri, told the Post at the end of last week that the municipality wants to raise the monthly rental from US$10,000 to between $40,000 and $80,000.

"We don't yet know what the final price will be since it is under discussion," Seng Chamrouen said.

Cintri's 50-year contract to operate Phnom Penh's refuse-collection has been running for seven years.

Seng Chamrouen said deputy governor Trac Thai Sieng had told Cintri at a meeting last Monday that the city wants to renegotiate up to 90 percent of its contract, the company said.

Authorities refuse to reply

However, Trac Thai Sieng told the Post on Thursday there were no plans to raise charges for the dump sites and said he was unable to answer further questions.

"I can't answer because I don't know anything about this story," he said, directing further questions to City Hall spokesman Nuon Sameth.

Nuon Sameth refused to comment, saying that he was busy with preparations for the July 7 event marking the listing of Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.