Cambodia revokes land licenses from 8 companies

 

Environment Minister Say Sam Al. Photo/AKP

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Environment Minister Say Sam Al said Monday that the government has canceled licenses of economic land concessions (ELCs) for eight companies after they have not undertaken development on the lands for years.

"The government revoked their investment licenses in the ELCs because they have received the land for years, but they have not undertaken development in the areas," he said in a press conference, adding that 12,457 hectares of the ELCs have been taken back from those companies and put under the Environment Ministry's management.

The Cambodian government has awarded ELCs to private investors in order to develop agricultural projects such as plantations, animal husbandry and building factories to process agricultural products, and companies could possess ELCs up to 99 years.

Since 1993 to 2012, the government had granted ELCs of 1.67 million hectares to 169 local and foreign firms, according to the figures recorded by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a temporary halt to granting ELCs to new firms in May 2012 with an aim to strengthen the effective management of ELCs.

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