By Kay KimsongElectricite du Cambodge will soon start working on improving its customer services, billing system and other business operations, thanks to a $2.9 million grant by the French government.
French Ambassador Andre-Jean Libourel and Minister of Industry Suy Sem signed the grant agreement Tuesday, saying it would help EdC’s day-to-day operations to the benefit of 100,000 customers in Phnom Penh.
“This grant is very important for the Cambodian government, which is committed to the reform of the country’s power sector to make it more competitive and effective and to provide a high quality of service to customers,” said Suy Sem at the signing ceremony at EdC.
The money is granted through the project partner Electricite de France, which has been assisting in improving EdC’s business and management since 1989.
About $1.6 million will be used for a management program aimed at improving the billing system and customer services, according to the agreement. The rest of the money will go to human resource training and other management reform.
EdC is building its training center, scheduled to be completed by November in Meanchey district with the Asian Development Bank’s financial assistance, Suy Sem said.
Electricite de France is the first company to come back to Cambodia to rebuild the whole system of EdC. The French government has financed about $10 million for joint EdC-Electricite de France projects in the last 10 years, Libourel said.
