The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) has earned $126 million from two state-owned ports – the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) and the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP). The ministry unveiled the figures during an annual meeting convened on Wednesday to review the performance of 2022 and set objectives for 2023. Speaking at the meeting, MPWT Minister Sun Chanthol said in 2022, the PAS earned $86 million, which was a 2.45 percent increase over last year. At the port, around 5.3 million tons of cargo was handled, an increase of 1.29 percent, he said. In 2022, the PPAP registered a 17 percent increase in port revenue at $40 million and handled around 4.2 million tons of cargo, up 9 percent year-on-year, he said. “The port revenue increase reflects the increasing goods throughputs via both ports,” he said. He said the PAS has been developing and modernising container ports to become regional ports with the potential to support national economic growth and poverty alleviation.In addition, Chanthol said the PAS has been studying the feasibility of building container ports in the second and third phases. While in the second phase (2025-2028), it will be 400 meters long and 16 meters deep, in the third phase (2026-2030), it will be 430 meters in length and a water depth of 17.5 meters. The PPAP, he said, has completed the construction of the phase 3 container terminal and some supporting infrastructure at the LM17 container terminal, and completed the construction of some bridges and infrastructure at the Tonle Beit Multipurpose Port.In addition, the PPAP has completed the construction of three tourist port bridges at the multi-purpose port. The MPWT has launched a Japan-financed Port Electronic Data Interchange (Port EDI) system at the PAS and the PPAP, with an aim to improve effectiveness, efficiency and transparency and reduce cost.