KOH KONG: On November 30, Prime Minister Hun Manet presided over the groundbreaking for construction on the Stung Tatai Dam in Koh Kong, where he spoke about the nation’s power needs and promised to protect the Mekong River in the process.

During his speech, he said he had ordered the Ministry of Mines and Energy to connect the entire country to the electric grid by 2030.

He said that 98% of Cambodia is currently connected to the grid, while 2% of the rural population still does not have access to electricity.

The Prime Minister reminded the crowd that in 1998, Cambodia could only supply 150 megawatts of electricity to the people, while now Cambodia has the capacity to supply more than 4,000 megawatts throughout the country.

He also called on the Electricity Authority to facilitate payment services in addition to providing more favorable and reduced electricity prices to citizens.

He confirmed that the government has set aside a budget of $100 million to ensure the price of electricity does not increase. He noted that the price is going up in countries around the world, but that the government is willing to spend money to keep the cost of electricity low for Cambodia.

He claimed that the government’s purpose is to help its people with their struggles and to maintain the balance of development and economic stability for the country.

"The state has not been profitable in recent years,” he said. “The state has lost $100 million this year [to ensure] the price of electricity for the people remains low.”

He also highlighted the government’s decision to reduce electricity prices for the agricultural sector of the last few months and said he has plans to further reduce rates for the tourism sector.