Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Firms seek to resume high rise construction in Sihanoukville

Firms seek to resume high rise construction in Sihanoukville

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Unfinished construction sites in Sihanoukville on November 25. Hean Rangsey

Firms seek to resume high rise construction in Sihanoukville

The Covid-19 pandemic brought high-rise building construction in Preah Sihanouk province to a halt when it began, resulting in several business disputes that four real estate companies are now working together to solve, according to provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun.

Chamroeun told The Post last week that the number of high-rise buildings in the province had reached about 1,000 before the pandemic. Some of the construction was temporarily suspended due to the crisis and has also led to conflicts which require solutions before the construction can continue.

“To speak fairly, there are a lot of problems and concerns with these buildings,” he said

Chamroeun explained that before the pandemic, the private sector had priced the markets, land and buildings as high as $80 per square metre. When Covid-19 arrived, rents dropped to zero because no one was conducting commercial activities and the province went into lockdown at times, which led to the suspension of construction on some buildings.

He said three local developers signed agreements with a Singapore-based real estate firm in an effort to jointly resolve disputes happening in the construction of these high-rise buildings in this coastal province and pave the way for the projects to move forward. The agreement was arranged in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

“Now the province begins its recovery. So the way to solve the problems has to be based on each individual situation. We encourage investors to continue to prepare, repair and reopen their buildings,” he said, adding that a few days ago some owners requested permission to fly a private plane to the province and he allowed them to come and start working on this process.

“I want the reopening process to continue,” he said.

Provincial administration spokesman Kheang Phearom told The Post on December 6 that a total of 1,661 buildings were constructed between 2017 and 2021, with a total value of around $8.4 billion. Of those buildings, there are 620 construction projects that are between five and 53 floors in height.

In 2019, he said authorities ordered that 14 buildings be demolished after engineers inspecting them determined that they were not built to the required standards or quality. Now, five of the 14 construction sites have resumed their construction from scratch.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom