EMA concludes joint project on electrical wiring practices in Cambodia (Amended)

SINGAPORE'S electricity industry regulator, the Energy Market Authority (EMA), on Wednesday announced the completion of its 16-month joint initiative to improve electrical wiring practices in Cambodia.

Together with the Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy, EMA had developed the technical standards for electrical wiring and safety standards for buildings and households in the country.

The project also saw the training of 55 key senior energy officials in Cambodia on the basic concepts of electrical safety systems, regulatory frameworks and technical standards, EMA said in a statement.

Cambodia's Minister for Mines and Energy, Suy Sem, said that the standards will become the first technical document for the country to manage and control electrical requirements for buildings and households.

Temasek Foundation, Temasek Holdings' non-profit philanthropic unit, funded the project with a grant of about S$306,000. Temasek Foundation CEO Benedict Cheong said: "All across Asia, cities are growing rapidly, and good city planning and management is critical to ensure resources are well-utilised to provide for the urban community. We hope that this programme will make a positive contribution to the development of Cambodia's electricity and energy industry."

This is the first bilateral project under the Singapore-Cambodia memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation, which was signed between Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry and Cambodia's Ministry of Mines and Energy on Oct 28, 2013, at the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week.

The article previously stated that the joint initiative was completed in 18 months. However, the Energy Market Authority has since clarified that the project was completed in 16 months. The above article has been updated to reflect the change.