The Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has recently signed a loan agreement with the Royal Government of Cambodia to provide a Japanese ODA loan of up to 25 billion yen (about over US$200 million) for the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan, pointed out JICA’s press release issued on Wednesday.

The agreement was inked by H.E. Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance (MoEF) and Mr. Yuichi Sugano, acting president of JICA Cambodia Office on Nov. 10.

According to the same source, the objective of the programme loan is to subsidise the country’s recovery from the social and economic downturn caused by COVID-19 through budget support for the implementation of the COVID-19 Master Plan and related policies. This programme loan will contribute to the achievement of SDGs Goals 1, 3 and 8.

As a development partner, JICA has always adhered to a joint approach to support the Royal Government in addressing challenges and continuing to work with Cambodia to fight against COVID-19. In this context, JICA has been supporting the renovation of hospital buildings and the installation of new medical equipment at the Battambang Provincial Referral Hospital and Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital, providing sanitary equipment to the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Centre, equipping Phnom Penh City Bus with thermometres and some other necessary equipment to prevent the infection.