Cambodia will host the biannual meeting of Mekong Delta labour ministers in two weeks’ time when they will discuss having a common social security net for workers. Labour Minister Ith Samheng said last week that he will meet with his counterparts from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/region-probes-social-security/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

A steady climb in the number of Chinese nationals moving to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville over the last two years has driven up housing costs in the southwestern coastal province, leaving many Cambodian workers struggling to make ends meet while property owners profit from the increase in href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/growing-numbers-of-chinese-workers-drive-up-housing-costs-in-cambodias-sihanoukville/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

A UN women’s rights committee has praised the government’s efforts to promote gender equality and combat violence against women, but noted its concern that there are no provisions in the constitution that define direct or indirect discrimination against women. href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-panel-notes-problems-in-bid-to-foster-gender-equality/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The structural economic issues facing the Kingdom will need greater institutional collaboration, according to Vongsey Vissoth, Permanent Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who sees a lack of economic diversification and competitiveness as key issues to overcome. href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-must-recognise-urgency-of-developing-skilled-workforce/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The Phnom Penh International Airport has been awarded Best Asia Pacific Regional Airport 2019 for its sustained high growth in passenger traffic in recent years. The award was presented by the Capa Centre for Aviation (Capa) – a world-leading and trusted organisation that provides market intelligence href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/phnom-penh-intl-airport-wins-award-as-passenger-traffic-soars/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The Ministry of Health said the dengue epidemic had been relieved to a manageable level despite the fact that to date, the number of people who suffered from it this year is almost three times higher than in the same period last year. href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/dengue-at-manageable-level/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

A new draft agreement between the largest banks in Cambodia and South Korea aims at facilitating the flow of money transfers between the two countries, making it easier for companies that import Korean goods to settle their invoices and for migrant Cambodian workers to send href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/acleda-widens-capital-channel-to-south-korea/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Kampong Speu palm sugar is expected to receive its geographical indication (GI) status certification from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development by the end of this year, according to an official from the Kampong Speu Palm Sugar Promotion Association (KSPSPA). Mr. Sok Sarang, href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/palm-sugars-gi-status/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The Ministry of National Defense announced on Friday that it is seeking more than 400 candidates to join the military in 2017. The announcement stated that the ministry was seeking both male and female candidates to work in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF). Candidates must have href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/defense-ministry-looking-for-recruits/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The border town of Bavet in Svay Rieng province was again roiled by unrest and alleged violence yesterday after police used fire hoses to disperse a crowd of striking garment workers, arresting 58 of them in the morning only to release them in the afternoon.About href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cops-protesters-clash-in-bavet/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Cambodia is likely to come under scrutiny as parties to the UN’s anti-landmine convention gather in Geneva this week, with a recent report saying the Kingdom is unlikely to hit its mine clearance targets, even under an already-extended deadline.The 14th meeting of states parties to href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kingdoms-mine-targets-out-of-reach/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The government is failing to enforce, or even make landlords and tenants aware of, the new rent-control law, even as rents begin to creep up in anticipation of garment workers receiving their annual wage raise next month, labour advocates say.The legislation, which went into effect href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rent-control-law-being-ignored/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Though it has refused calls to open new channels for migrant workers to vote in upcoming elections, the National Election Committee (NEC) has sent a letter to all Cambodian embassies appealing for citizens living abroad to return home to register for next year’s polls. But as href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/nec-tells-migrants-to-come-home-and-vote/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

As ASEAN member states race to get ready for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) integration later this month, one of the pillars of the new economic bloc is the free flow of skilled labour across borders, with Cambodian industry experts unperturbed by the possibility of href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/labour-market-unfazed-by-aec/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Cambodia is one of the smallest and poorest economies in ASEAN. It accounts for only 0.7% of total regional economic activity and had the lowest GDP per capita in 2014 (Table 1). Only the Lao PDR has a smaller economy, and the next-poorest countries in href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-place-in-asean/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

The Thai Labor Ministry has increased the minimum wage for Cambodian migrant workers since the start of the year, however civil society officials say there are both pros and cons to the salary increase.A notice published yesterday and signed by Labor Minister Ith Samheng, who href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/thais-increase-migrant-wages/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday he had urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to invest more heavily in Cambodia’s rice sector, while also acknowledging the need to lower rice processing costs and find new export markets to boost the competitiveness of Cambodia’s most important href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-urges-philippine-investment-for-ailing-rice-sector/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Cambodia’s former opposition leader Sam Rainsy said on Sunday he was open to talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has held power since 1985, to end a crisis caused by the dissolution of the main opposition party ahead of elections in July. The Cambodia National href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-former-opposition-head-says-open-to-talks-with-pm/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Several of the opposition-led commissions in the National Assembly have plans to summon three ministers to clarify several ongoing issues, including the sand exports to Singapore and the murder of political analyst Kem Ley. During a Tuesday evening press conference at the Cambodia National Rescue Party href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/opposition-to-question-three-ministers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...

Freshly pardoned CNRP deputy leader Kem Sokha yesterday claimed the pardon that exonerated him on Friday was made without any conditions or concessions from the opposition party. The acting president of the opposition, who had been under de facto house arrest since May and had been href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sokhas-pardon-no-conditions/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...