SBR- Content.pmd - INBO

11 - Trade and transportFigure 8: Comparative traffic growth of Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville portsSources: Phnom Penh Autonomous Port and Sihanoukville Port AuthorityYet, as may be observed in Figure 4, the robust traffic growth of Sihanoukville over the past fiveyears (+3.8 percent per year for ship calls and +18.9 percent per year for cargo throughput) is instark contrast with the declining traffic growth registered by Phnom Penh over the same period(–8.7 percent for ship calls and –3.0 percent for cargo throughput). It is possible that these widelydivergent growth outcomes may have been due in part to Sihanoukville Port capturing some of thetrade flows which, in the absence of transit delays (and possibly, punitive transit charges) on theriver route, might have been directed to Phnom Penh Port.A key element in the reduction of border crossing delays on the river route is the bilateral agreementon waterway transport between Cambodia and Viet Nam, signed in December 1998. This agreementis significant in that it, and its associated protocol, limit to two the number of places at whichvessels are required to stop for completion of customs and other border-crossing formalities – VungTau in Viet Nam and Phnom Penh Port in Cambodia. Another agreement dealing with Transit ofGoods between Cambodia and Viet Nam, was signed in September 2000. Previously there werefour such stopping places, including theofficial border checkpoints of Vinh Xoungin Viet Nam and Kaom Samnor inCambodia. Unfortunately, owing to delaysin the resolution of differences betweenthe two governments regarding the list ofprohibited transit goods, the agreement hasyet to be put into full operation. Its earlyimplementation is becoming a matter ofconcern, since some new internationaltraffic opportunities – including a touristpassenger boat service between Siem ReapVietnamese customs officers on drug patrol inthe Mekong Deltaand Ho Chi Minh City – are being delayedby the absence of an enforceableagreement between the two countries.239