PHNOM PENH: During a press conference held by the Royal Government Spokesperson Unit on May 11, 2023, Mr. Som Piseth, the Governor of Kep Province, provided an update on the construction of the White Horse Port.
He reported that the private firm investing in the port had completed 60-70% of the construction and expected it to be fully completed soon.
The Governor also announced that the Kep Provincial Administration was seeking investment in another cargo port to be built on state public land. He estimated that the investment required for the new port would exceed 1 million dollars and assured that efforts would be made to attract legitimate investors who would enhance waterway transportation without harming the environment.
The White Horse Port, located in Sangkat O’Krosar, Kep City, spans an area of 8 hectares. The port is being constructed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement for a 15-year period and will facilitate the transportation of goods and agricultural products between Kep and Kampot, primarily serving factories in Kampot.
According to a letter from the Ministry of Economy and Finance dated February 15, 2021, the project requires an investment of nearly 2 million dollars, and the private firm is allowed to recoup the capital through the ferry terminal business. The BOT agreement will continue for another 15 years from the time the port is completed and officially inaugurated in 2023.
