The company behind the Funan Techo Canal has sealed the deal with the Export-Import Bank of China for a nearly $1 billion loan to fund the project's comprehensive water management works. The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) confirmed that the agreement was finalized on the 9th, though the news was only made public two days later.
According to officials, the project is being handled by a private firm under a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model. Once completed, the inland waterway will provide a direct route to the sea, slashing logistics costs and giving local businesses a real competitive edge. People living along the route are already buzzing about whether it will spark a boom in new factories, warehouses, and townships.
On the day of the signing, Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol traveled to Xiamen, Fujian province, to witness the agreement. Work on the canal has been underway for a while now, stretching all the way from the Mekong River in Takeo down to Kep province. As planned, the waterway will be 80 to 100 meters wide and over 5 meters deep, with a total price tag of roughly $1.7 billion. It is slated for completion in 2028.
