KAMPONG CHAM – Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said yesterday that, the COVID-19 pandemic has cost the country about 2.3 billion U.S. dollars.

“So far, we have spent 2.3 billion dollars to deal with the COVID-19 crisis,” he said, at the inauguration ceremony of the Stueng Trang-Kroch Chhmar Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge.

A portion of the budget had been used to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, he said, adding that, he was very proud of the government’s success in its vaccination drive.

To date, the country had administered at least one vaccine dose to 14.1 million people, or 88.1 percent of its 16-million population, the Ministry of Health said, adding that, of them, 13.24 million, or 82.7 percent, had been fully vaccinated with both required shots, and 2.15 million, or 13.5 percent, had received a booster dose.

With its high vaccination rates, the country has recently reopened its doors in all areas.

Hun Sen said, he is confident that the reopening now is not a setback, adding, the kingdom’s economy is expected to grow around three percent this year, and up to five percent next year.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen said, the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which will both entre into force on Jan 1, 2022, will give Cambodia greater market access to China and other RCEP countries.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK