PHNOM PENH, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday unveiled a master-plan to develop the Bokor Mountain resort, located in the coastal province of Kampot, into a new city.
Speaking at the master-plan dissemination workshop here, Chea Sophara, the deputy prime minister and the minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, said the government issued a sub-decree on the establishment of the Bokor City development project in late June, aiming to build the zone into a new city by 2035.
The master-plan showed that the project will cover a 9,000-hectare portion of the Bokor Mountain resort and the development will include residential area, commercial zone, multi-purpose development area, physical infrastructure, eco-tourism, administration and public service zone, green spaces, and water storage facilities, among others.
"Investors and common people are encouraged to buy pieces of land within the project for development purposes," Sophara told about 600 participants at the workshop.
He added that the area is the best for both development and natural resources preservation.
Ly Rasmey, deputy director general of the general department of construction at the ministry of land management, urban planning and construction, said the project is situated about 42 km west of the Kampot provincial town, and 180 km southwest of Phnom Penh.
He said the area has nice and cold weather with fresh air, mountainous scenery and sea view.
"Our purpose is to turn the area into a smart and green city and as the top eco-tourism site in Cambodia's mountainous areas," he said.
Tourism Ministry Undersecretary of State Ny Phally said the new city project is located at a potential area for tourism and he is confident that it will help attract more tourists to Kampot.
Phally said Kampot received 113,275 foreign tourists in the first six months of 2019, up 21 percent over the same period last year.
Pel Kosal, deputy provincial governor of Kampot, said the project will become a new catalyst to boost socio-economic development in the province.
