An aerial view of Phnom Penh capital. Hong Menea
Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng said the updating of the 2035 Phnom Penh master plan is to facilitate the provision of systematic land ownership to people more quickly and efficiently.
Speaking at a November 29 meeting to discuss the revision of the master plan and outline next year’s working direction at the City Hall, Sreng instructed district land officials to make sure they clearly understand the plan before carrying out any activities.
“Development of the municipality must be done in accordance with the master plan. This includes the development of canals and other construction. In addition, the updates to the plan will enable land ownership to be established more efficiently,” he said.
Sreng added that several districts have already prepared core plans for land use which align with the plan. It was only some of the newly created districts which needed to study the master plan before deciding on their course of action.
In order to facilitate more efficient provision of land ownership, the plan need to be updated every eight to 10 years, he added.
“Specialist departments and all 14 district governors must carefully examine the master plan to avoid violating it,” he said.
Soeung Sen Karuna, spokesman for rights group ADHOC, said on November 30 that the registration of land ownership was not happening quickly enough. In some places, the process was complete, but many more people were waiting for officials to complete it.
“We hope that the changes to the master plan will be implemented across the capital, and not just here and there,” he added.
The City Hall said the 2035 vision of land use at the district level will support the development of Phnom Penh, the heart of the Kingdom.
Phnom Penh is the Kingdom’s centre of politics, trade and culture, so it must be developed with equity and sustainability to provide an inclusive quality living environment, it said.
Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association president Chrek Soknim said the updates to the master plan are welcome, as Phnom Penh has developed in terms of construction, buildings and transportation systems.
“If no changes are made, there will be challenges in the future, because Phnom Penh is attracting foreign and local investors, and expanding rapidly,” he added.
