As it prepares to submit the town to UNESCO for inclusion on its historical cultural heritage list, the Battambang town administration has instructed all property and business owners in Svay Por commune to remove all billboards by August 1.
All signage was to be taken down, according to a notice posted on July 25. This was done to improve the town’s appearance and strengthen public safety and order. The choice was based on a discussion at a meeting on July 13 about preserving the town’s historic neighborhoods’ attractiveness.
“The administration will take down the signage and disassociate itself from any property damage if a home or business owner disobeys. It stated that fines could also be imposed.
The document went on to say that the town administration “trusts that the people would abide by this notification and cooperate to improve the beauty and ecology of our town.”
Some people have already voluntarily dismantled their billboards, according to Song Soeng, director of the town’s public relations office.
He explained, “The administration has issued this instruction to get the place ready for the historical cultural heritage list of UNESCO.
He claimed that in order to preserve the old town’s cultural history, which attracts tourists, public collaboration is essential.
The actions were praised, and Yin Mengly, the provincial coordinator for the rights group ADHOC, advised citizens to work with the authorities. The Svay Por district, which had many historic buildings and was a beautiful area of the city, should be protected.
“Business owners in this area are highly competitive in the marketplace, so they have increased the size of their awning extensions and installed billboards to advertise their products and services. The administration’s approach has my support. We should protect them because the town has some of the best French colonial buildings in the Kingdom,” he said.
Source: Phnom Penh Post
