(Phnom Penh): The leadership of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction has requested the European Union to examine the possibility of cooperating on land registration work across the country and the development of construction standards in Cambodia to boost economic growth and improve the living standards of the people.

HE Deputy Prime Minister Say Samal spoke during a working meeting with HE Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to the Kingdom of Cambodia, on the afternoon of February 12, 2024 at the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

HE Say Samal said that the priority work of the ministry is land registration to contribute to reducing land disputes and creating a dispute-free environment throughout the country. As a result, the ministry has already distributed approximately 5 million land titles to citizens, and approximately 2 million titles are still being distributed to citizens every day.

The Japanese government has provided material assistance for land registration, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance is seeking funding of over US$100 million to complete the registration of another 5 million land plots across the country within the next two years.

Regarding the construction sector, HE stated that the main goal of preparing construction standards in Cambodia is to help economic growth by making full use of existing natural resources in Cambodia, as well as promoting the use of local construction products. Therefore, the Ministry has been studying inputs from countries such as Europe, Japan and the United States to create a construction standard that responds to Cambodia’s potential.

At the same time, the Ministry has been drafting three laws: the Law on Construction, the Land Law and the Law on Land and Urban Planning, and is requesting assistance from the Japanese government’s JAXA Satellite Image System to plan land in line with the direction of socio-economic development in an effective and sustainable manner, plan urban development and prepare suitable and livable housing.

In response, HE the Ambassador commended the Ministry for its success in reducing land disputes across the country.

His Excellency expressed support for the study of preparing construction standards in Cambodia and is ready to provide technical assistance and other assistance to suit the needs of studying construction standards in Cambodia, especially examining the possibility of cooperating with the European Space Agency (ESA) which has a specific satellite imaging system.