Traffic remains busy along National Road 1. Pha Lina |
National Road 1 quietly develops
Thu, 9 June 2016 ppp
Siv Meng
Some
low-key developments can be seen along National Road 1 as many
developers and large investors continue to snap up land in this area.
National Road 1 is located to the south of the ASEAN region, connecting Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Chrek
Soknim, CEO of Century 21 Mekong, labelled the development trend on
National Road 1 as “low-key” because he has seen many Chinese and
Japanese investors approaching local developers to buy and invest in
land along the road.
One
particular Chinese company is planning to build an international
hospital in the area because the road is poised to be a trade and
commercial transit road in the future, according to Soknim.
Nonetheless, he did not disclose the construction schedule of the hospital.
Soknim
said, “The land prices along this road have increased. Property
developments, such as villas that are being constructed here have
gathered quite a lot of interest.” He added, “My company has sold at
least 20 villas recently.”
Oknha
Noun Rithy, chairman of the Khmer Foundation Appraisal, said Chinese
and Japanese investors are scoping the area for future potential as a
short-distance land and water trading connection to Vietnam.
“The
land prices along this road have yet to increase because the prices
that the people here have sold are 20 to 30 per cent higher than market
price, but the owners are adjusting to the market price now,” he said.
Land prices along National Road 1 vary depending on the area.
For
instance, land from Monivong Bridge to Borey Peng Huoth costs from
$1,500 to $2,500 while land from Borey Peng Huoth to the Tiger Beer
Brewery costs from $800 to $1,200 per square metre. Land from the Tiger
Beer Brewery to Korki Market costs between $350 to $500, and land from
Korki Market to Nek Learng costs from $50 to $150 per square meter,
Rithy explained.
He
added that there are many industrial parks being constructed along this
road, with companies developing in this special economic zone coming
mainly from China, Japan, and Hong Kong. There are currently up to four
special economic zones being constructed along the road from Neak Leung
to Phnom Penh.
Rithy
said, “The area around National Road 1 will become an industrial area.
The land prices will automatically increase because there are many
demands.”
Additionally,
Council for the Development of Cambodia’s (CDC) secretary-general Sok
Chenda Sophea said the government would continue to improve
infrastructure in Bavet City, a key economic area located along National
Road 1 near the border point of Cambodia and Vietnam, to increase the
city’s potential as a storage area, as well as a connecting point to
transport goods between Thailand and Vietnam.
Her
Bavy, CEO of Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, owns two ports; one in Phnom
Penh, the other in Kean Svay district, Kandal province. He said the
Phnom Penh port is expanding the capacity and ship gateways. The port
can currently hold 100,000 containers, but after the expansion, it will
be able to hold 300,000 containers, whereas the docks will deepen from
being five metres to seven metres.
With
these port upgrades, trade along National Road 1 would be made more
efficient, especially once the industrial parks being developed by the
China, Japan and Hong Kong companies are completed.
However,
Ra Net, a resident in Prek Thom Village, Sangkat Kbal Koh, Chamkarmorn
district along National Road 1, said the land prices around that road
are at a deadlock because land owners are demanding steep prices.
The
asking price for land along this road is between $200 and $400 per
square metre for the inner roads. He said there are many Chinese and
Japanese companies pouring in and buying cheaper land further away from
National Road 1 itself.
He said, “From what I’ve heard, the Chinese are planning to build MSG factories in this area.”
“Borey and commercial development along this road by Vattanac Properties Limited will begin soon.”
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