MANILA, Aug 31: Cambodia will get $286 million in loans from the Asian Development Bank from 2003 to 2005 under the institution’s newest country strategy, the bank said on Saturday.

The three-year ADB plan for Cambodia will focus on economic development, building up human resources and spurring the private sector, the ADB said in a statement from its headquarters in Manila.

This lending program includes 13 projects over the three-year period with the loans on concessional terms, the ADB said.

It will also give a total of $14.9 million in grants under the three-year plan.

The loans will be subject to annual assessment of Cambodia’s capacity to absorb them.

Laos: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Saturday it would lend $161 million to Laos from 2003 to 2005.

About half the loans will be aimed at “poverty intervention,” the ADB said in a statement from its headquarters in the Philippine capital.

Among the priorities of the loan program are development of rural infrastructure and services, poverty reduction and two greater Mekong Subregion projects to boost telecommunications and power, the statement said.—AFP