Cambodia, Vietnam to open international border gate

THE country is working with Vietnam set to open a border gate that will serve as an international checkpoint – linking the southeastern province of Prey Veng to Tay Ninh on the Vietnamese side – on May 31 to further boost trade between the countries in preparation for the eventual containment of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This was revealed in a letter from Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng to Prime Minister Hun Sen requesting approval, according to online news outlet Fresh News.

The Meun Chey-Tan Nam border checkpoint is located in Kamchay Mear district’s Krabao commune on the Cambodian side and near the Tan Nam hamlet in Tan Bien district’s Tan Binh commune on the Vietnamese side.

The Cambodian government had decided to proceed with the upgrade in April 2014, with the Vietnamese side only agreeing over five years later – on Dec 3, 2019 – to complete the necessary internal procedures.

The inauguration ceremony of the border gate will be held under the presidency of the two prime ministers in the near future after the Covid-19 situation improves.

Prey Veng Provincial Administration spokesman Chheang Sovannara confirmed that Prey Veng and Tay Ninh authorities would open the Meun Chey-Tan Nam international border checkpoint on May 31 to increase goods exchange between the two countries, especially of local agricultural products.

He told The Post on Thursday that the pandemic had muted trade activity in the area, but “the soft launch will be carried only at the provincial level, not yet officially”.

Cambodia Logistics Association president Sin Chanthy said more border checkpoints would make life easier for locals in the agriculture world, where products can only be stored for so long.

The new gate would trim down transportation and other costs, he said, adding that the two provinces represented vast reservoirs of untapped potential for the agriculture market.

“Establishing many border checkpoints with neighbouring countries is a desire of the private sector, but this also requires the authorities to monitor and enforce the law well to make competition more transparent,” he said.

In a bid to increase trade volume and facilitate sales for people in the region, Cambodia is also preparing to set up two border markets on the frontier with Vietnam in Kampot and Svay Rieng provinces, following in the footsteps of the Phsar Da Border Model Market.