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
