Cambodian ambassador to Japan Ung Rachana signed a contract on April 20 for the construction of a sewage development project in Phnom Penh with Japanese private company Kubota Metawater Joint Venture in Tokyo, Japan.

Rachana provided his signature on behalf of the Phnom Penh Municipal Department of Public Works and Transport.

Municipal public works department director Sam Piseth said an auction was held for the contract to develop the wastewater systems in Phnom Penh since it is a grant project. Kubota Metawater was the winner with the lowest bid.

"Kubota Metawater Joint Venture has won the bid for the construction of the water treatment plant at Choeung Ek with a capacity of 5,000 cubic metres per day," Piseth said.

Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng had earlier said the development area in the south of Phnom Penh covers 520ha of land, of which 181ha consists of state land that will be used as reservoirs, sites for water treatment plants and other infrastructure.