Phnom penh: The Siem Reap Provincial Administration and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have launched the second phase of a smart city project designed to tackle pressing urban challenges in the Cambodian tourism hub.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the initiative was formally advanced following the inaugural Joint Coordinating Committee meeting, co-chaired by Siem Reap Provincial Governor H.E. Prak Sophorn and Ms. Miura Yoshiko, Senior Representative of JICA’s Cambodia Office, at the Provincial Hall today. The session concluded with the signing of meeting minutes, cementing the partnership.

This new phase builds on over four years of technical cooperation from JICA, which has included the creation of a strategic urban development plan. The collaboration has identified critical infrastructure and service issues and produced a technology-driven roadmap to guide Siem Reap’s transformation.

The project’s initial phase, concluded in May 2025, successfully deployed eight pilot projects, six of which are now fully operational. The Japanese government has now approved Phase 2, which is scheduled to run from September 2025 through August 2028.

Governor Prak Sophorn expressed his appreciation for the Japanese government’s sustained commitment to the smart city initiative and for the long-standing support of the Japanese people to Cambodia’s development, particularly in modernising Siem Reap’s urban infrastructure.