| Multilateral Trade Agreements
Cambodia urged to join TPP The Phnom Penh Post 10th May 2016
The Cambodian government needs to take stock of its economic place within ASEAN, and globally, to continue its growth trajectory given the anticipated ratification of a major international trade pact expected to erode the competitiveness of the Kingdom’s biggest industrial sector, US Ambassador to Cambodia William Heidt said yesterday. Addressing AmCham Cambodia’s annual meeting, Heidt said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement – which creates a 12-member trade bloc that accounts for 40 per cent of the world’s economy – will make Vietnam a top US trading partner, potentially at the expense of Cambodia, which is not part of the landmark agreement. “The ASEAN economic community is leading to faster integration in the region,” he said. “But more importantly, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will accelerate the integration process and require Cambodia to think very deeply and quickly about how its economy will fit in the region.”
US Official: Cambodia Could Join TPP Trade Pact VOA 14th Jun 2016
U.S. Under Secretary of State Catherine Novelli met senior Cambodian leaders in Phnom Penh last Friday during a three-day visit to the country, discussing a range of issues including deforestation, the investment climate, energy and technology. Novelli also raised the possibility that Cambodia could join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a controversial U.S.-led trade agreement between Pacific Rim states. Visiting just four months after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a trip to the Southeast Asian country, Novelli met Minister of Environment Say Sam Al and Agriculture Minister Ouk Rabun, along with a top telecommunications official, journalists and tech-sector entrepreneurs.
Regional Affairs
Business alliance eyes cross-border e-commerce along Mekong River - Business - Chinadaily.com.cn China Daily 12th Jun 2016
Companies and organizations from six countries along the Mekong River have established a business alliance, with a view to build a platform for cross-border e-commerce. The alliance, established Saturday, will boost cross-border trade through e-commerce across the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), Yi Hong, chairman of the alliance, said at a forum on GMS economic cooperation held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan province. The GMS Economic Cooperation Program, launched in 1992 by six countries along the Mekong River - Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, is designed to support regional infrastructure, and to promote trade, investment and economic growth.
US Official Says Cambodia Could Join TPP Trade Pact VOA Cambodia 11th Jun 2016
A leading US State Department official met senior Cambodian leaders in Phnom Penh on Thursday and Friday during a three-day visit to the country, discussing a range of issues including deforestation, the investment climate, energy and technology. Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli also raised the possibility that Cambodia could join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a controversial US-led trade agreement between Pacific Rim states. During her visit, which came just four months after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a trip to Cambodia, Novelli met Minister of Environment Say Sam Al and Agriculture Minister Ouk Rabun.
Cambodian Public Bank Symbolizes Close Ties Between Malaysia and Cambodia Khmer Times 1st Jun 2016
Malaysia’s award-winning Public Bank, which is celebrating its 50th Golden Jubilee this year, is one of the first foreign banks to open its door in Cambodia in 1992. “Under the astute leadership of Public Bank Founder and Chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow, the Bank made the bold and right decision to establish Cambodian Public Bank as a commercial bank in Cambodia – long before others saw the potential of the newly democratic Kingdom,” said Mr Phan Ying Tong, Regional Head of Indo-China Operations. Since then, Cambodian Public Bank’s presence has expanded greatly. From its first branch in May 1992, Cambodian Public Bank is now the largest 100% foreign-owned commercial bank by asset in Cambodia and has expanded its branch network to 30 throughout the country – and still surging ahead to growing its banking operations in Cambodia. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Campu Securities, is the joint managing underwriter which has successfully underwritten the listing of the shares for Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone – the fourth company to be listed on the Cambodia Stock Exchange - on 30 May 2016.
Cambodia and Thailand edging closer to nuclear power The Straits Times 30th May 2016
Step by step, Cambodia and Thailand are edging towards nuclear power generation as the region hunts for vast, stable power sources to fuel rapid development and improve the livelihoods of growing populations. Cambodia and Russia recently signed two deals to set up a nuclear energy information centre and a joint working group on peaceful uses of atomic energy. Neighbouring Thailand's appointed legislature has passed a Bill that strengthens the regulatory framework for the use of radioactive material. Although neither government has announced immediate plans to build nuclear power plants, experts say these developments lay the groundwork for such projects in the future if the two nations choose to proceed.
Details of Kingdom’s first double taxation agreement released Phnom Penh Post 27th May 2016
In what could be Cambodia’s biggest step forward into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in terms of taxation deals and fiscal transparency, details on Cambodia’s first bilateral double taxation agreement (DTA) with Singapore have been released. While the bilateral agreement has yet to become legally binding, analysts say that this sets the stage for increased economic integration as the country aims to up protection for multinational corporations. Signed on May 20, the agreement between Cambodia’s Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth, and Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indraness Rajah outlines a framework for the avoidance on double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion.
Infrastructure Funding Puts Cambodia on Front Line of Global Politics VOA Cambodia 23rd May 2016
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push for “quality infrastructure” investment in Asia is expected to be among the key items on the agenda of the G7 summit in Japan on May 26-27. In May last year, Abe announced a $110 billion injection into Asian infrastructure funding over five years. The investment is to be handed out in bilateral donor assistance as well as channeling funds through the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The move is widely seen as providing a counter to the rising influence of China, which over the past decade has been rapidly expanding its presence with investment in infrastructure projects throughout Asia. Critics say Chinese projects lack the quality and standards demanded by international donors, such the World Bank, the ADB and Japan. Yet for several Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, in dire need of infrastructure development, the “no strings attached" funding from China provides an immediate fix.
Bilateral trade with Thailand declines Phnom Penh Post 20th May 2016
Bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia decreased by 13 per cent in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2015, according to statistics provided by the Royal Thai Embassy. The value of Cambodian exports to Thailand reached $290 million by the end of March, an 11.02 per cent increase compared to the same time last year. However, imports, valued at $1 billion, decreased by 17.8 per cent by the end of March. Overall bilateral trade stood at $1.3 billion, a 13.2 per cent decrease, which allowed the trade imbalance between the two countries to drop by a considerable 20 per cent. Soeng Sophary, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said that while there has always been a trade imbalance between the two countries, a 20 per cent decline was a good sign that the gap would continue to narrow. “Since most of Cambodia’s market depends on other countries markets,” she said, these numbers will “always fluctuate”. But, she added that it could show that Cambodian products were gaining a competitive advantage, especially in light of the ASEAN Economic Community which is aimed at reducing trade barriers.
OP-ED: Cambodia’s Policy on China Khmer Times 12th May 2016
Cambodia’s foreign policy strategy towards China is characterized by two main features. On the one hand, Cambodia has pursued a policy of bandwagoning, or alignment, with Beijing, while on the other hand, it also draws closer to Beijing’s competitors such as Tokyo, Washington and Hanoi. Since Cambodia’s strategy towards China does not contain defiant elements, it cannot be described as “hedging,” a strategy which normally combines elements of deference and defiance. Unlike other Southeast Asian states, Cambodia does not aim to counterbalance against China.
National Affairs
Date set for 2017 commune elections Phnom Penh Post 25th May 2016
Elections for Cambodia’s commune councils will take place on June 4 next year, according to a directive from Prime Minister Hun Sen released yesterday. The brief missive, signed by the premier, was issued to end the “concern and curiosity” of “some political parties”, said ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan. The announcement – which follows calls by the Grassroots Democracy Party (GDP) to fix an election date – gives the National Election Committee a little over a year to register nearly 10 million eligible voters in a new digital system, which has been beset with delays.
Cambodia’s Opposition Party Seeks U.N.’s Help to End Political Acrimony Radio Free Asia 18th May 2016
Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy (R) speaks to the press as deputy president Kem Sokha (L) looks on in Tokyo, Nov. 10, 2015. Cambodia’s opposition party delivered a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday, calling for an immediate meeting of the signatory countries to the 1991 Paris Peace Accords to address the Southeast Asian nation’s dangerous political situation. The letter charges that checks and balances in the political system no longer exist and that the situation is preventing the democratic aspirations of the Cambodia people realized under Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for more than three decades. The current politically tense situation directly violates the key tenets of the Paris Peace Accords, including Cambodia’s commitment to ensure the protection of the human rights of all citizens, the letter dated May 4 says.
Call me Lord Prime Minister: Cambodia Wants PM Title Used KTVZ 12th May 2016
For years, some Cambodian media have referred to the country's longtime leader simply as Prime Minister Hun Sen. Authorities warned Thursday that has to stop. Starting in August, all media must use his full, honorary, six-word title - "Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen" - in the opening lines of print articles, radio and TV stories about the leader. The title translates roughly to "Lord Prime Minister and Supreme Military Commander" and was bestowed on Hun Sen by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni in 2007.
Custom motorcycle culture arrives in Cambodia, little by little South China Morning Post 12th May 2016
A row of parked motorbikes is hardly a rarity in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh – roads there are choked with the spluttering machines. But on one sleepy Sunday morning, it was a sight to stop the traffic. On a leafy street, almost 100 gleaming custom and classic motorcycles, including Harley-Davidsons, Hondas and vintage Vespas, lined the road, each accompanied by a dapper rider. Having had their first Cambodian get-together last September, the owners were gearing up for the worldwide Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride – an annual charity event started in 2012 with the aim of raising awareness of and funds for prostate cancer.
New Human Rights Czar Defends Government Against ‘Darkness’ The Cambodia Daily 10th May 2016
As protesters were being arrested during peaceful demonstrations in Phnom Penh on Monday morning, the new chairman of the government’s human rights committee held a press conference to reassure the public that the country’s human rights situation was stable. A group of NGOs organized a “Black Monday” protest, during which demonstrators wore black shirts, to call for the release of four officers from local rights group Adhoc and an election official who were jailed last week for their alleged involvement in bribing a mistress of deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha to deny the affair. Human rights groups both in Cambodia and around the world have blasted the government’s ever-expanding investigation into the sex scandal and resulting legal action as an effort to destroy the political opposition and silence critics. However, Keo Remy, a secretary of state at the Council of Ministers who became chairman of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee this month, said nothing was amiss.
In Cambodia, a political crackdown deepens Nikkei Asian Review 7th May 2016
Pity the opponents of Cambodia's prime minister. Three years after nearly toppling the long-serving Hun Sen in national elections, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party finds itself besieged by an intensifying legal assault that has landed more than 20 critics of the government in jail in the past year. The crackdown slipped into high gear on May 2 with the arrest of four staff members from Adhoc, a local human rights group, and a senior member of the National Election Committee. The five have been accused of bribing a 25-year-old hairdresser to deny an alleged affair with Kem Sokha, the CNRP's deputy president. Another "accomplice" -- a worker from the United Nations human rights office in Phnom Penh -- has been charged in absentia.
Market Development
Cambodia’s Real Estate Booming Khmer Times 12th May 2016
Cambodia is predicted to be the next tiger economy in Asia due to the GDP’s consistently strong growth, and its fastest developing sector for the next five years will be the real estate sector, according to a group of Asean realtors and evaluators who spoke during the 24th VPC Asia Pacific Regional Conference last Friday. James Wong of International Property Consultants and VPC Asia Pacific Realtors said that considering the ongoing and consistent development of real estate and property in the Kingdom, the country would help the rest of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) become a key player in the international economic market. “The AEC will be the next trading bloc in the world after the European Union, China and America, as China and America are fighting with each other politically and economically,” Mr. Wong said.
Customs
Cambodia to Seek Patent Membership Khmer Times 1st Jun 2016
Cambodia is planning to be a member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) to protect the intellectual property rights of foreign products coming into the Kingdom. This, a high ranking government official said, will shore up investor confidence and attract more foreign investment to the Kingdom. The Patent Cooperation Treaty is a treaty of more than 140 countries and allows for the filing of a single international application, which can then be converted into national applications in each PCT member country. This prevents the counterfeiting of foreign products in the country and also protects Cambodian products from being copied overseas, said a senior government official at a Patent Cooperation Treaty seminar yesterday. Minister of Industry and Handicraft Cham Prasidh said Cambodia will send a proposal to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) seeking membership of the PCT, soon after the Kingdom ratifies its domestic patent laws to protect the intellectual property of foreign investors.
Rice Exports to EU Threatened Khmer Times | News Portal Cambodia | 7th Jun 2016
The Kingdom’s rice exports to the European Union (EU), which now enjoy duty and quota free access, could be threatened if the regional grouping agrees to Italy’s request to limit rice imports from least developed countries (LDCs). Italy is Europe’s top premium rice producer and its exports to the EU are growing. According to Oryza, the daily online markets newsletter, Italy is pushing the EU to cut LDC rice imports from Asia to protect the Italian local rice market that seems to be getting bigger.
Minister’s Environment Day Claims In Doubt The Cambodia Daily 6th Jun 2016
Environment Minister Say Sam Al on Sunday declared an end to large-scale logging in eastern Cambodia and said the vast majority of property disputes sparked by land-grabbing sugarcane plantations had been settled, though NGOs disagreed. In mid-January, the government set up a special task force to root out illicit timber stocks across the east and ordered an immediate halt to all wood exports to Vietnam, a tacit admission that much of it was illegal. In a speech marking World Environment Day in Phnom Penh on Sunday, Mr. Sam Al claimed that the government’s efforts had effectively put an end to “large-scale” logging and export, leaving only scattered families cutting down a few trees at a time. “I can say here, today, at this hour, that the large-scale timber logging that we used to see is entirely ended and we have shut down the Cambodia-Vietnam border,” he said. “I can say that large-scale logging has ended and only small-scale logging remains, like with families.” Vietnamese customs data obtained by the U.S. environmental protection group Forest Trends show a significant drop in timber imports since the ban. But they also show that substantial volumes are still getting through and that the traffic is once again on the rise.
Cambodia Hosts ASEAN Directors-General of Customs Meeting Agence Kampuchea Presse 26th May 2016
Cambodia has been hosting the 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs taking place at Hotel Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra here in Phnom Penh. Key focus of the gathering is to discuss the progress of the implementation of ASEAN Strategic Plan of Customs Development as well as customs integration and harmonization works. Cambodia’s Senior Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance H.E. Aun Porn Moniroth presided over the opening session of the three-day meeting, from May 25-27.
Lukewarm response to Russian tax proposal Phnom Penh Post 25th May 2016
Lukewarm response to Russian tax proposal A Russian diplomat has urged the Cambodian government to sign a double taxation treaty, but local officials say it is low on their list of priorities. Chheang Vun, chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly’s Commission for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said Russian Ambassador Dmitry Tsvetkov proposed the tax convention during a meeting on May 10. He said that while the proposal had been tabled and was open for consideration, Cambodia was keen to sign double taxation agreements with ASEAN partners first before looking further afield.
Russia and Cambodia look to increase investment Phnom Penh Post 19th May 2016
Russia and Cambodia look to increase investment Cambodia and Russia have officially inked agreements to promote bilateral trade and investment until 2020, although concrete details about how that will be accomplished have yet to be released. During the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit this week, Prime Minister Hun Sen led a delegation of high ranking officials and members of the business community to discuss ways of boosting economic relations.
Defense & Security
Cambodia ‘Should Learn from the US Move Toward Vietnam’ VOA 9th Jun 2016
The recent announcement of unprecedented security and economic cooperation between the United States and its former adversary Vietnam provides a good lesson for Cambodia to follow, an analyst has told VOA Khmer.
Energy
New EIA rules for mining Phnom Penh Post 23rd May 2016
The Ministry of Mines and Energy signed joint prakas with the Ministry of Environment to simplifying the environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements for artisanal and small-scale mining practices. The law has set up a transitional regime for EIA compliance, based on the scale and scope of existing mining operations in attempt to formalise the sector without causing undue burden to the extractive industry.
Tapping into Cambodia’s energy sector Phnom Penh Post 23rd May 2016
The Cambodian government plans to reduce electricity costs by 2020, a goal that has bred a lot of partnerships with both local and foreign energy companies. Dararith Lim, country leader and director of market development at General Electric, sat down with the Post’s Cheng Sokhorng to talk about its investment in Cambodia’s energy sector.
Moscow to Consider Exporting Oil Products to Cambodia Khmer Times 23rd May 2016
Russia is considering exporting its oil products to Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and Thailand, in a move to spur direct deliveries to Asean. Russian news service TASS quoted Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak at the Russia-Asean summit on Friday, who said Russia is ready to supply oil to all Asean member-states and is interested in it. He said that oil products may be supplied both within long-term and short-term contracts to all Asean countries. “Today, deliveries are being made as part of swap operations to Malaysia and Singapore. In a perspective, we are also considering deliveries to Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia,” he told TASS. Bin Many Mialia, a deputy managing director for cooperate affairs at Thailand’s PTT (Cambodia) Limited, one of the Kingdom's leading gasoline stations in Cambodia, welcomed the idea as Cambodia is still in the process of planning and constructing its own oil refinery. The refinery construction, a joint-venture between Cambodian and Chinese companies on a $3 billion oil refining plant laid on 80 hectares straddling the borders of Preah Sihanouk and Kampot provinces, will commence construction in October this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. With total volume of petroleum, Cambodia spent $926 million for oil last year, down 57 percent from $1.46 billion in the year before, the data said. Cambodia imports petroleum from Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand as its seabed’s oil and gas reserves have yet to be exploited.
Prime Minister Says Cambodia’s Nuclear Plans Purely Peaceful The Cambodia Daily 19th May 2016
A day after signing two agreements with Russia to explore the possibility of nuclear power plants in Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen assured a group of university students in Moscow that such technology would be employed for peaceful means. “We, with Russia, have agreed on the matter of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” Mr. Hun Sen told a group of more than 300 Cambodian students studying in Russia, adding that the government had no ambition to obtain nuclear weapons. “The agreement on the use and development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is one factor pushing Cambodia to the level of a developed country,” he said. Mr. Hun Sen and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday to create a joint information center for nuclear energy and established a joint working group to examine the potential for nuclear energy in Cambodia. It remains unclear when Cambodia might actually be able to build a nuclear power facility, with the government’s future energy plans relying almost entirely on hydropower dams and coal-fired power stations.
Oil Refinery Will Lower Gas Prices, Government Says The Cambodia Daily 6th May 2016
Cambodia’s first post-Khmer Rouge oil refinery is slated for construction in Preah Sihanouk province under a $620 million deal between a local firm and a Chinese state-owned company. Under the deal—inked at the Sofitel hotel in Phnom Penh on Wednesday by Cambodian Petrochemical Company (CPC) and China National Petroleum Corporation subsidiary CNPC Northeast Refining and Chemical—phase one of the project should be complete by 2018, enabling the plant to refine 2 million tons of oil per year. While exploration of Cambodia’s own oil reserves remains far off, the government hopes the refinery will put a dent in the domestic price of gasoline by allowing the import of unrefined crude.
SEZs starting to see the light of solar energy The Phnom Penh Post 5th May 2016
Despite a precipitous drop in the start-up costs of solar energy, Cambodia’s biggest industrial parks are sticking to high-cost grid and fuel-generated electricity, claiming that when it comes to attracting foreign manufacturers, a stable power supply trumps a cheaper electricity bill. However, a few special economic zones (SEZs) are optimistic about the future of solar and biomass energy in industrial settings, and are cautiously testing the waters with limited rollouts of “green” power-generating technologies. According to Jim Gramberg, CEO of Solar Partners Asia, a firm increasingly focused on outfitting industrial parks in Svay Rieng province, the price of PV solar panels has dropped substantially, and cost efficiency can now compete with coal and hydro power generation. He said current Tier 1 PV solar technology – a ranking that makes projects eligible for international bank finance – has the capacity to power an entire industrial park made up of garment and light manufacturing factories. Moreover, the capital costs of switching to solar can be recovered quickly.
China firm wins deal to build Cambodia's first oil refinery: Xinhua The Business Times 5th May 2016
An engineering unit of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) won a US$620 million contract to build an oil refinery in Cambodia, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday. Northeast Refining and Chemical Engineering Company (CNPCNE) is scheduled to complete building the first phase of the project of 2 million tonnes per year, or about 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) by 2018, Xinhua said. This will be Cambodia's first oil refinery and will help cut its reliance on fuel imports, Xinhua said. The refinery, located in Cambodia's southwestern Preah Sihanouk province, will be further expanded to 100,000 bpd at a total cost of US$3 billion, Xinhua quoted Hann Khieng, the managing director of the Cambodian Petrochemical Company (CPC), as saying. The plant is jointly owned by CPC and the Chinese firm Sinomach China Perfect Machinery Industry Corporation.
Financial Services
Industry pushes for electronic payments Phnom Penh Post 31st May 2016
With the e-commerce law hoped to be passed before the end of the year, industry experts said it is important for Cambodian businesses to begin to encourage e-commerce activity, with an emphasis on electronic payments systems. “My understanding is that [the e-commerce law] is largely about the validity of electronic contracts and electronic signatures, which is a great step,” said Chris McCarthy, co-chair of eBusiness Working Group, at a panel discussion on e-commerce yesterday. The next logical step after the e-commerce law is eventually passed would be to instill consumer and merchant trust in using online payment options, he added.
Khmer Specialized Bank Opens Khmer Times 19th May 2016
Khmer Specialized Bank, a subsidiary of Khmer Holding Group, was officially inaugurated to offer financial services to Cambodians yesterday, with $21 million worth of investment capital and becoming the 13th specialized bank in Cambodia. Ouk Maly, vice-governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), said at the inauguration ceremony that Khmer Specialized Bank became the 13th specialized bank in Cambodia after it was transformed from Angkor ACE Star Credit Limited under additional investment capital from Chinese investors. Ms. Maly said that Khmer Specialized Bank will provide credit to a variety of customers as well as enterprises, trades and small-to-medium-enterprises, with most of these sectors in need of capital to expand their business.
National Bank to Receive Support from IFC The Khmer Times 11th May 2016
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) yesterday in a move that officials are predicting will usher in a new era of responsible corporate governing practices, transparency, financial risk management and public confidence in the Kingdom. According to an IFC press release, the World Bank Group member will assist the NBC in enhancing its regulatory, supervisory and administrative capabilities by developing and providing corporate governance training and workshops to the bank’s staff.
National Bank Takes Controlling Interest in ABA Bank of Cambodia Canada Newswire 9th May 2016
National Bank announces an additional investment of US $103 million to acquire controlling interest in Advanced Bank of Asia Limited (ABA Bank of Cambodia). National Bank initially purchased a 10% interest in ABA Bank in 2014, and made subsequent investments that brought its stake to 42% in 2015. National Bank now holds a 90 % interest in ABA Bank. To date, National Bank has invested a total of US $148 million in ABA Bank as part of its international growth strategy aimed at building a presence in high growth emerging markets.
Banks warned on growing threat of cyber fraud The Phnom Penh Post 5th May 2016
Local financial institutions need to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to stop cyber criminals and protect their customers’ deposits from increasingly sophisticated fraud scenarios, a banking expert told a forum in Phnom Penh yesterday. Leonie Lethbridge, the newly appointed CEO of ANZ Royal Bank, told members of business chambers and the local banking community attending the forum that there has been a global upsurge in cyber and financial fraud, and Cambodia must take measures to ensure that it “does not become the next destination”.
Food & Agriculture
Support for Rice Industry Paying Off Khmer Times 19th May 2016
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank group, has been helping finance Cambodia’s rice industry and from 2012 to 2015 has provided more than $140 million for the development of the industry since the rice policy was released by the government to boost exports to one million tons of milled rice. IFC on Wednesday released the results of the IFC’s Rice Sector Support Program, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), over rice projects in Cambodia. So far IFC has directly facilitated more than $140 million worth of Cambodian rice exports, of which more than 50 percent involved the high-value fragrant rice.
Kingdom Eyes Improved Food Safety Standard Khmer Times 17th May 2016
While food safety control services and inspection systems for food products at the Industrial Laboratory Center of Cambodia (ILCC) have showed some improvements, the ILCC still lags behind Asean standards, according to Ministry of Industry and Handicraft secretary of state Sat Samy. Speaking at the National Workshop on Food Safety and Inspection Systems for Food Products in Cambodia yesterday, Mr. Samy recognized the improvements of the ILCC, but added that small and medium-sized industries (SME) were still bringing their products for inspection at laboratory centers in neighboring Vietnam and Thailand in order to comply with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards for food safety.
Hun Sen Declares Major Forestry Shakeup Cambodia Daily 13th May 2016
In what he characterized as a shakeup aimed at curtailing the autocratic whims of the forestry and fisheries administrations, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on Thursday that he was placing both bodies under the authority of provincial governments. The premier delivered a speech canvassing a wide range of environmental issues in which he also said those holding remaining forest concessions—which date back to the 1990s and were placed under moratorium in 2001—must hand them back or have them forcibly reclaimed by the state.
Forest Concessions to be Seized, Protected Khmer Times 12th May 2016
Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the transformation of all forest concessions now held by private companies into protected areas yesterday, calling for all forest communities, environmental activists and government officials to protect forests across the Kingdom. Speaking at the closing ceremony at the Ministry of Agriculture’s annual assembly, Mr. Hun Sen said the government will confiscate all forest concessions from companies and investigate which are still fit to be converted into protected areas.
Ministry sees export market growing The Phnom Penh Post 12th May 2016
Cambodia's total agricultural production was down slightly last year while a larger share of this production went to exports, the Ministry of Agriculture said in its annual report, released yesterday. Speaking at the launch of the report, Ty Sokhun, secretary of state at the ministry, said the Kingdom’s total agricultural production had been projected to grow by 5 per cent last year, but ended up down by 1 per cent.
Rice export data show consistent decline in Cambodia - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea Pulse 8th Jun 2016
Cambodian rice exports have dramatically declined over the past three months compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the General Department of Agriculture yesterday. The data detailed that rice exports had a monthly decrease of 14.5 per cent in March, 30.8 per cent in April, and 28.5 per cent in May. Rice exports in the first five months of this year totalled 234,328 tonnes, compared to the 243,025 tonnes exported in the same period last year, a year-on-year decrease of 3.7 per cent.
Grow Asia targeting six local cash crops Phnom Penh Post 3rd Jun 2016
Grow Asia, which formally launched a partnership with Cambodia late last year, will reconvene on June 13 in Phnom Penh to kick-off working groups between the public and private sector, including NGOs, after targeting six crops for market potential. The Grow Asia program is a multi-stakeholder partnership that aims to promote inclusive agricultural growth amongst ASEAN member states. The organisation is backed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and has partnered with Cambodia’s Agriculture Ministry and the World Bank. Jenny Costelloe, Grow Asia’s director of country partnerships, confirmed yesterday that the organisation would focus on six crops: rice, cassava, coconut, palm sugar, pepper and vegetables.
Snakehead fish farms to rely on animal carcasses The Phnom Penh Post 30th May 2016
The Fisheries Administration submitted a proclamation on management measures for sustainable snakehead fish farming to the Ministry of Agriculture last week, a member of the Fisheries Administration confirmed yesterday. The proclamation was sent approximately one month after a joint letter was sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Administration to request a removal of the 2004 ban on farm-raised snakehead fish. While Hun Sen lifted the ban, it was originally imposed as the result of the mass collection of small fish during the breeding season needed to feed the farm-raised snakehead fish, which was largely seen as destroying the ecological system of local rivers.
Agriculture Experts Call for Water Preservation as Rainy Season Begins VOA 26th May 2016
PHNOM PENH — As the rains began to pour across Cambodia, heralding the beginning of the rainy season, agricultural experts have called for water reserves to be protected in case of climate change to avoid a repeat of shortages seen in recent years. The request from the Ministry of Agriculture came a day after the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, which symbolically marks the start of farmers’ cultivation period.
Kingdom to Clean Up to Asean Standards Khmer Times 11th May 2016
The Kingdom’s first automated measures to apply for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) certification of imports and exports will be launched by the end of June in an effort to boost and facilitate communication between Ministry of Agriculture officials and importers and exporters applying for SPS certification. Importers and exporters will soon be able to access Cambodia’s SPS standards and apply for SPS certification online before importing or exporting goods, according to General Department of Agriculture officials.
Health & Life Sciences
Health Ministry and WHO sign 5-year plan Phnom Penh Post 13th Jun 2016
The Ministry of Health and the WHO on Friday signed a new five-year plan that will seek to address communicable and non-communicable diseases, advance universal health care, strengthen capability to respond to new emerging diseases and increase collaborations and partnerships, a ministry official said yesterday. “You may see the life expectancy for Cambodia increase” under the new plan, said Dr Sung Vinntak, director of the international cooperation department at the Ministry of Health. Currently, the life expectancy is 70 for men and about 74 for women, he added.
Warnings to Be Placed on Cigarette Packs Khmer Times 27th May 2016
In what appears to be part of a wider push to cut down on smoking in the Kingdom, cigarette companies will have to publish pictorial and text warnings that take up 55 percent of each packet by the end of July, according to the Ministry of Health. Tobacco companies that fail to abide by the new regulations will face fines of 10 million riel ($2,500), while wholesale distributors and retailers will also face fines of $500 and $2.50 respectively if caught selling cigarettes that do not contain the new health warnings.
Student Uses IT Know-how to Develop Software for Doctors Khmer Times 18th May 2016
CAMBODIA - Combining his twin specializations – computer programming and medical science – Kong Divin, 22, is in the process of developing software that he says will allow Cambodian doctors to access and store patients’ records more easily. Having already earned a degree in database programming from the University of Puthisastra (UP), Mr. Divin has three years to go to complete a degree in medical science at the University of Health and Science (UHS). He is currently in the experimental phase of developing the software, which is designed to make the process of recording and storing patients’ information more user-friendly for medical professionals. The program will give medical practices a very useful tool for eliminating human error in the process of storing patients’ information. It will also make it easier for government and research institutions to collect medical data.
Organ Transplant, Donation Draft Law Approved The Khmer Times 29th May 2016
The Council of Ministers approved a draft law last week regulating and controlling organ donations and transplants in response to a World Health Organization (WHO) report which revealed that the lives of patients with non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes could be further endangered following kidney transplants, if done improperly. The draft law also attempts to curb the illegal and brutal organ trade, especially in kidneys.
Minister Wants Malaria Eliminated by 2025 Khmer Times 27th May 2016
In recognition of this year’s World Malaria Day on Monday this week, the Health Minister reconfirmed Cambodia’s commitment to eliminate the disease by 2025 during a speech in Pailin. “We have to continue our efforts to eliminate malaria according to our plan by 2025, and Thailand is committed to eliminate it by 2024, one year before Cambodia. The plan to eliminate malaria by 2025 is supported by Prime Minister Hun Sen,” Minister Mam Bunheng said, referring to a pledge made by the Health Ministry as part of its 2011-2025 roadmap. The 2011-2025 roadmap, which officials say has so far been successful, vowed to eliminate malaria at any cost. According to an annual report on national anti-malaria strategic programs, the number of deaths caused by malaria in the Kingdom dropped from 92 in 2011 to 10 in 2015. The total number of reported malaria cases also saw a steep drop-off between 2011 and 2015, from 62,690 to 34,892. In a Facebook post, the US Embassy celebrated the success of anti-malaria projects in Cambodia that are supported by US funds.“The US provides $4.5 million annually to the Control and Prevention of Malaria Project (CAP) Malaria – funded by USAID through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) – to fight malaria in Cambodia,” the post said, adding that funds go towards the procurement of mosquito nets, training and outreach health services. “To eliminate malaria in Cambodia by 2025, USAID is working with the National Malaria Program Center to pilot a malaria elimination intervention package, with the hope that it will one day serve as the basis for a model that can be replicated throughout the country,” the post added.
Cambodia's health care system struggles to cope with mentally ill patients Channel News Asia 25th May 2016
For mental health patients in Cambodia, long waits are far from uncommon at the state-run clinic. Although its outpatient department is the biggest in the country, the facility only has six registered psychiatrists to treat hundreds of patients per day between 7am and 12pm. For those with serious conditions that require continual specialised care, there are ten beds available. Mental health problems are widespread in Cambodia. Some patients are often locked up at home or chained to trees, as their family members do not know how to deal with the symptoms. Health care services exist but are hard to access, particularly in rural areas. And some patients are dropped off at the clinic with their hands and legs tied.
Private Clinic Shuttered After Man’s Death The Cambodia Daily 24th May 2016
PHNOM PENH - The Ministry of Health ordered the closure of a large private medical clinic in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kok district on Monday, one day after the sudden death of a man who received treatment there, according to a government statement and the man’s wife. The clinic, Khim Rany Clinic and Maternity in Boeng Kak I commune, was ordered to shut down because it “had caused many problems in the past and never obeyed its contract to open the clinic or obeyed the advice of the Ministry of Health,” according to a statement signed on Monday by Health Minister Mam Bunheng.
Smoking-ban deadline looms The Phnom Penh Post 23rd May 2016
The Ministry of Health will begin ramping up its efforts to publicise a recently passed smoking ban, and individuals caught smoking in public places and establishments that fail to display “no smoking” signs can expect to start paying fines starting from September 16.The ministry on Wednesday issued a statement requiring managers and owners of establishments to display the signs in places that are in clear view to the customers. The signs must be written in Khmer or English and must specify the fine amount. Ray Rany, director of tobacco and health at the ministry, said officials have prepared signs for all establishments that need to go up before September 16.
Kantha Bopha to Stay Independent: Ministry Khmer Times 19th May 2016
CAMBODIA - The Health Ministry yesterday denied rumors that it planned to take control of the network of Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals. “The Health Ministry would like to confirm that the ministry does not intend to take Kantha Bopha Hospital under its control,” the ministry’s statement said. “The ministry is working closely with H.E. Beat Richner.” n March Switzerland’s Dr. Richner, who founded and acts as the primary fundraiser for the five Kantha Bopha hospitals as well as their foundation, was appointed as an advisor to the Health Ministry. The ministry’s statement added that it and Dr. Richner were working together to fund the hospital’s stable development.
WHO eyes new TB test regime for Kingdom The Phnom Penh Post 17th May 2016
The World Health Organization recommends countries with high incidences of TB, including Cambodia, begin implementing the new treatment regimen based on studies in 10 countries. Health officials in Cambodia will develop a plan to implement the new regimen by late 2017 or early 2018, said Dr Mao Tan Eang, director of the National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control. The new treatment, which costs less than $1,000 per patient, could be completed in nine to 12 months, compared to the current period of 18 to 24 months, said Tan Eang. Officials would phase out the existing regimen.
Garment Workers to Get Health Insurance Khmer Times 12th May 2016
CAMBODIA - Garment workers across the Kingdom will receive health insurance from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) by 2018, according to officials. Cheav Bunrith, director of the Policy Division of the NSSF, said three provinces, Phnom Penh, Kandal and Kampong Speu, will be launching the program, with workers paying between 6,000-7,000 riel per month in exchange for access to health insurance. “The board of directors at the NSSF as well as the Ministry of Labor defined these area as the top priority for starting the process of health care insurance for workers because it is the main zone for factories,” he said. “Next we will spread it to other provinces such as Preah Sihanouk, Svay Rieng, Kampong Chhnang, Takeo and others where there are a lot of factories. In 2018, we will cover all 25 municipalities and provinces.”
ICT
US to help develop Kingdom's cybercrime law Phnom Penh Post 7th Jun 2016
As a hacker yet again defaced the personal website of Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday, a Justice Ministry spokesman announced that the US would help the Kingdom develop its controversial draft cybercrime bill, which observers have long feared will be used to crack down on government critics. Following a meeting between US Ambassador William Heidt and Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana yesterday morning, Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin said the US had volunteered to help “guarantee that the preparation of this law is not going to restrict freedom of expression”. “In July a working group from the Ministry of Justice and relevant working groups from the telecom and interior ministries will visit Washington in order to study, learn and exchange experience with the US in drafting and implementing a cybercrime law,” Malin said, adding that the bill was “moving forward”
ICT Federation overhauled Phnom Penh Post 7th Jun 2016
Trying to stay in sync with Cambodia’s rapid information and communication technology (ICT) growth, the Kingdom’s ICT Federation has been overhauled and is now fully chaired by industry insiders. According to Steven Path, president of the ICT Federation and CEO of Pathmazing software development company, this is the first time in Cambodia that there has been a board of directors who are from the ICT industry, free of political ties, and appointed through a democratic process. “In the past, the ICT Federation didn’t have criteria or qualifications for someone to be part of the board of directors,” he said. “But going forward the federation is amending the bylaws so that in order to be a member of the board of directors, you must own or run an ICT business and either be a leader or influential in your field.” Path argued that there is enough room in the market for many other companies similar to his own to emerge and be successful. As such, he said that the federation hopes to help promote tech companies of all sizes using the staff, services, capital and additional resources that each board member brings to the table.
Smart brings Facebook Flex service to Cambodia Telecom Paper 20th May 2016
Mobile operator Smart has introduced the Facebook Flex service in Cambodia. Customers can use the Facebook Flex service even when they run out of credit. The Facebook Flex launch is part of Smart’s partnership with Facebook under the ‘Free Basics’ program. Facebook Flex allows Smart subscribers to switch to a Facebook version without any data charge. By toggling the ‘Go For Free’ switch within Facebook’s Android App or Facebook’s website, the free data basic version of Facebook with no photos or videos is turned on. By switching to ‘See Photos’, all photos and videos in the Facebook timeline will be shown while standard data charges apply.
Metfone: No Plan to Sell Out Khmer Times 19th May 2016
Mefone, one of Cambodia’s largest telecommunications companies, is not planning to sell a stake in its business, which it claims it is on track and growing. The remark was made in reply to a rumor that the company was trying to sell 49 percent of its Cambodian operation to raise capital to invest beyond Cambodia. The rumor spread shortly after the firm launched its latest 4G service in Cambodia, enabling people to experience fast mobile internet connections. Nhong Din Than, the vice-general director of Metfone, told Khmer Times yesterday that the firm did not have any plans to sell a stake in its business. “We want to reject any rumor that our company is seeking to sell a stake,” he said. Mr. Than’s wanted to set the record straight after some local media reported earlier this week that Viettel, the Vietnamese military-owned operator of Metfone, was looking to sell a stake in its Cambodian operation to raise capital for other global ventures. Mr. Than said the firm’s Cambodian business was running smoothly and progressively. “What they said is false. All Metfone’s business activities in all sectors including mobile phones, mobile services, fixed services and band services are successfully running. “So there are not any reasons that I have to sell a stake,” Mr. Than said, adding that his company just officially launched a 4G service, which he said is a step forward in growing the business. As for the media reports about the company selling a stake, which was sourced from the international media and based on a decrease in Mefone’s revenue in the last few years, Mr. Than declined to provide any detail, saying the information would not be made public.
Metfone stake up for grabs: sources The Phnom Penh Post 16th May 2016
Viettel, the Vietnamese military-owned operator of Cambodia’s biggest telecom firm, Metfone, is looking to sell a stake in its Cambodia operation to raise capital for its other global ventures after the company reported its lowest growth in earnings since 2012, according to international media reports. During a general shareholder meeting last week, the state-owned telecommunications giant reportedly announced that it was considering divesting from its operations in Cambodia and other overseas subsidiaries. “The group is considering the sale of part of the holdings in these companies while they have good valuation. We will use the proceeds to acquire new businesses. So it does not conflict with our strategy of targeting a global presence,” the online financial news platform Deal Street Asia quoted an unnamed company representative as saying.
Cambodia passes 21 mln phone subscriptions milestone Telecom Paper 11th May 2016
Cambodia has reached 21 million telephone subscribers. The figure represents 139 percent of Cambodia's total population of over 14 million people, state news agency AKP reports, citing the country's Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Tram Iv Tek. The number of internet users also saw a significant increase and internet penetration currently stands at 45 percent of the total population, he added.
Infrastructure
World Bank to re-engage after five-year absence Phnom Penh Post 23rd May 2016
The World Bank has approved $130 million in developmental aid aimed at reducing poverty in Cambodia, signalling its first direct re-engagement with the Kingdom since it left in protest in 2011 after one of the largest forceful evictions led by the government displaced more than 3,000 families. The decision came last week when the World Bank’s executive directors voted on a new Country Engagement Note (CEN) that approved financing of four projects including infrastructure development, clean-water projects, agriculture production and access to health care. The projects will be supported by $130 million in concessional credits from the bank’s International Development Association with repayment schedules stretched over 25 to 45 years.
Royal Railways Considering Airport Train The Cambodia Daily 12th May 2016
Royal Railways is conducting a feasibility study on a rail line that would whisk passengers from the center of Phnom Penh to the airport in less than 15 minutes, the company’s CEO said on Wednesday. Though the plan is still in the early stages of discussion, Royal Railways CEO John Guiry said he hoped to use an existing rail line for most of the route and, under the most optimistic scenario, have trains running in 18 months. “You’d depart and you’d almost be sitting in the Burger King at the airport” in 10 to 15 minutes, Mr. Guiry said. Though Mr. Guiry stressed that the plan was “only just a discussion at this point,” he predicted a relatively fast launch of the service. “It’s not a 10-year process,” he said. “I want to have a go of it.”
Mekong dam projects ‘could destroy livelihoods, ecology’ The Nation 5th Jun 2016
The local people in Stung Treng Province of Cambodia make a living from Mekong River, which many dams will be built on. They have also warned that it will be very difficult for people to claim compensation for projects' negative impacts on the environment and their livelihoods because it will be not difficult if not impossible to clearly link the effects to a particular dam.
Manufacturing
Pressure Mounts on Garment Industry Khmer Times 25th May 2016
Falling productivity and rising infrastructure costs are putting Cambodia’s garment industry at a disadvantage as it tries to compete with rivals Vietnam, Bangladesh and Myanmar, a leading union said yesterday. The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) yesterday urged the government to launch a productivity campaign to improve the situation in one of the country’s biggest industries. GMAC quoted the ILO’s bulletin between 2011 and 2014, which said labor productivity in the garment and footwear sector dropped by about 14 percent. It said labor productivity appears to have fallen as the growth in employment has outstripped the value the sector added to the economy.
Market Regulation
New Rules Aim to Stop Corruption at CDC The Cambodia Daily 11th May 2016
Investors and officials looking to do business together at the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) will be subjected to new rules intended to foster greater transparency that were announced on Tuesday. The new rules follow the weekend arrest of a CDC official for allegedly soliciting a $1,000 bribe. In a statement dated Monday, the CDC announced a series of new measures that would require investors meeting with CDC officials to provide identity documents and forbid unrecorded informal meetings between them.
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