(Phnom Penh): His Excellency Say Samal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, met with Dr. Hiroto IZUMI, Advisor to the Building Center of Japan and Policy Planner for the Japanese Housing Sector, the Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, and a delegation of Japanese private companies on the morning of November 20, 2023 at the Ministry.
On that occasion, His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister thanked Japan for its active participation in helping to find peace in Cambodia and help restore all aspects of Cambodian society and economy. Cambodia and Japan have had relations and cooperation for 70 years and have expanded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister said that in the land sector, Cambodia is promoting the registration of ownership certificates to citizens in an estimated total of approximately 5 million land plots. In the past, Japan has provided technical equipment worth a large amount of money to help accelerate land registration in Cambodia, which is a priority for this new mandate set by the Prime Minister.
Taking advantage of the occasion, His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister informed the Japanese delegation that the parliamentary elections on July 23 were the first elections in Cambodia that were held smoothly, and the change of prime minister from Samdech Techo to Samdech Thipadei was carried out peacefully. Cambodia has come a long way from His Majesty King Samdech Preah Borom Ratanakoth, the “Father of National Independence,” to Samdech Techo, the “Father of Peace,” to the contemporary Cambodian era, under the leadership of Samdech Maha Bovorathei Hun Manet, which has opened a new era. The culture of peace and democracy has taken root in the hearts of every Cambodian citizen, and the extremist movement has been ended.
At the same time, HE the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Japanese side to assist in the ministry's technical work: examining the possibility of connecting satellite images through the Japanese JAXA station so that the ministry can develop a data system for building and studying geography, producing a unified map covering the entire country in digital format, working with banks and housing associations in Cambodia by supporting the preparation of a low-interest green loan system, sharing knowledge and experience on the preparation and construction of affordable housing for civil servants and low-income people, continuing to provide advice on the preparation of legal documents in the development of technical regulations for construction, as well as continuing to provide technical assistance in the construction sector and training for experts at both national and sub-national levels. HE the Deputy Prime Minister strongly hopes that this visit of Japanese investors to Cambodia is the beginning of a closer relationship between Cambodia and Japan to further collaborate in many fields.
In this meeting, Dr. Hiroto IZUMI expressed his appreciation for the attention of the Royal Government of Cambodia, which is striving to promote the land registration work according to the set plan. In response to the request of HE the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. IZUMI said that Japan supports the concept of using the Permanent Survey Station (CORS) as a foundation for promoting land registration. The doctor shared his experience of building housing for citizens in Japan, saying that this work must rely on three major pillars: (1) the central government, which creates new cities; (2) local governments, which build housing as state houses for low-income citizens; and (3) the central government creates financial support for housing development.
Dr. IZUMI thanked HE the Deputy Prime Minister for providing the opportunity to discuss this work and to share the above information and requests with HE the Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism of Japan (MoLIT) and will prepare to receive HE the Deputy Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in February 2024 to ensure a smooth and fruitful process.
