The Problem of Economic Development Strategy in Cambodia: The Case of the Road Network

Abstract

In Cambodia, the road network is included of the national and rural roads which facilitate the local communities to access to economic activities. However, the road network is still in a troubling situation. Though the national roads are mostly paved with DBST or made in concrete but they are still in poor condition. The rural roads mostly remain unpaved which are servable only in dry seasons. This difference in the road network development could barn the communities from obtaining benefit from economic growth. This paper is to identify the primary cause of the situations by reviewing the policies under Cambodian National Strategic Development Plan 2014-2018. We found out that the policies that prioritize the national roads instead of the rural roads is the main cause. Accordingly, more public investment is saved for the national roads than the rural roads; and the total length of pavement of the national roads with DBST or concrete is much longer than that of the rural roads. This study therefore suggests the government to reconsider an increase in the range of the paved rural road surface with DBST or concrete by enhancing its capital investment.