Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Friday said the National Police was planning to swap land with the Royal Palace in order to build a new headquarters near NagaWorld Casino.
Speaking at a monthly Interior Ministry meeting, Mr. Kheng said the National Police would give up land it owns adjacent to the southern end of the Royal Palace in return for a plot belonging to the palace along Preah Sisowath Quay, across the street from the Dream Land Amusement Park.
“We will take the land where they raise the cows, near the bodhi tree, and we will build the national police headquarters there. We have created a working group to study it,” he said.
Mr. Kheng promised that the swap “will help,” but did not explain how.
Nor did he explain what would happen to the current headquarters of the National Police near the Ministry of Interior on Norodom Boulevard.
Mr. Kheng said the government was also drawing up a master plan for the new headquarters at the request of China, but did not elaborate on Beijing’s role in the endeavor.
China has funded the construction of several government buildings, including the Council of Ministers.
