Palm farmers eye a sweet deal
Palm sugar producers in Kampong Speu province say they are ready to scale up and meet demand as global consumer goods giant Unilever looks to source palm sugar for its products from the Cambodian market. Prak Sereywath, president of the Cambodia Institute for Research and Rural <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/palm-farmers-eye-a-sweet-deal/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/palm-farmers-eye-sweet-deal
Land dispute closes a national road
About 50 protesting villAgers in SihAnoukville’s Mouy commune blocked NAtionAl RoAd 4 yesterdAy for About one hour in An effort to stop Authorities from demolishing their houses illegAlly built in the KbAl ChhAy protected forest. Heng Sokhom, A representAtive of the group, Acknowledged thAt their houses <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lAnd-dispute-closes-A-nAtionAl-roAd/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Pech sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30114/land-dispute-closes-a-national-road/
VN a top investor in Cambodia
Viet Nam was among Cambodia’s top five investors as of last april with US$3.2 billion in 171 projects.It is also Cambodia’s third largest trade partner with bilateral trade topping $3.3 billion as of 2015, Vietnamese Commercial Counselor Nguyen Bao said, noting the two countries are <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/vn-a-top-investor-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Viet Nam News Staff
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/276481/vn-a-top-investor-in-cambodia.html
Sihanoukville gets a wake up call
Sihanoukville has long been a part of the government’s plan to develop the Southern coast as Cambodia’s next tourism hotspot after Siem Reap, and if recent arrival numbers are anything to go by it seems to be growing in appeal. However, as new property developers <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sihanoukville-gets-a-wake-up-call/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
George Styllis
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/sihanoukville-gets-wake-call
A nest of little gold-diggers
A mining explorAtion firm working in the remote jungles of northeAstern CAmbodiA is using termites in its seArch for goldDeep in the heArt of RAtAnAkkiri province, the eArthen mounds thAt pepper the forest floor provide clues As to the minerAl weAlth thAt lies below. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/A-nest-of-little-gold-diggers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Cam McGrath and Ayanna Runcie
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/nest-little-gold-diggers
Agro sector on a growth path
The tonnage of Cambodia’s agricultural exports increased by over 20 per cent last year, led by a surge in shipments of dried cassava chips, according to the latest Ministry of agriculture data. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/agro-sector-on-a-growth-path/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/agro-sector-growth-path
Government calls Rohingya refugee ‘a liar’
Cambodian and australian officials on Sunday denied claims made by a Rohingya refugee from Burma over the weekend that he was being poorly treated in Phnom Penh, with the Interior Ministry’s refugee director calling the man “a liar.” <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-calls-rohingya-refugee-a-liar/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-calls-rohingya-refugee-a-liar-109826/
Rice sector predicts a worrying trend
Although dAtA for first four months of this yeAr hAve shown A slight rise in rice exports, millers And exporters continue to rAise concerns on the bAck of April’s rApid decline. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rice-sector-predicts-A-worrying-trend/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-sector-predicts-worrying-trend
Children—a new defense against looting?
For years, archaeologists excavating pre-angkorian sites in Banteay Meanchey province unsuccessfully attempted to stop the looting of the area’s temples and buried treasures. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/children-a-new-defense-against-looting/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
A boom year for building projects
A stunning rise in the vAlue of construction projects Approved by the government in the first hAlf of the yeAr could be A sign thAt developers hAve found A willing Ally in the newly Appointed minister of lAnd mAnAgement, who hAs pushed through hundreds of <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/A-boom-yeAr-for-building-projects/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/boom-year-building-projects
Potholes on a path to progress
Cambodia marginally improved its global competitive ranking this year, moving up five spots to place 90th out of 144 nations surveyed, with weak public institutions and lack of innovation continuing to affect its economic progress, according to a newly released World Economic Forum report.The Global <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/potholes-on-a-path-to-progress/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/potholes-path-progress
Congestion costing ‘$6 million a month’
Phnom Penh authorities yesterday offered an economic argument for ministries, motorists and citizens to respect traffic laws, claiming that congestion-related costs in the capital were setting the country back about $6 million per month. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/congestion-costing-6-million-a-month/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Pech Sotheary and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/congestion-costing-6-million-month
For many LGBTs, a secret life
LGBT Cambodians face a formidable level of prejudice and discrimination, which for many means a life lived in secrecy and isolation, a major new study of attitudes has revealed.The survey of almost 1,600 people, straight and LGBT, across seven provinces, published yesterday, found that a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/for-many-lgbts-a-secret-life/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Jamie Elliott and Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/many-lgbts-secret-life
Knock-offs find a new home
The province of Banteay Meanchey will build a new market for vendors displaced from the Long Keur market on the Thai side of the Poipet border, a provincial official said yesterday, adding that vendors will be allowed to continue selling their counterfeit goods at the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/knock-offs-find-a-new-home/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/knock-offs-find-new-home
Sathapana to become a commercial bank
Sathapana Microfinance Plc, one of the largest in Cambodia, will officially transform itself into a commercial bank late next month, a move in line with Japanese-owned Maruhan Bank acquiring a 95.1 percent stake in 2012. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sathapana-to-become-a-commercial-bank/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/23125/sathapana-to-become-a-commercial-bank/
Kingdom a warm respite for Russia
Increasingly hurt by sanctions and frozen out by the West over its meddling in Ukraine, Syria and the recent US presidential election, Russia is seeking to pivot to asia and establishing a beachhead in a decidedly warmer locale – Cambodia. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kingdom-a-warm-respite-for-russia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cristina Maza
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kingdom-warm-respite-russia
IMF: Make youth a demographic dividend
The International Monetary Fund says Cambodia’s young population compared with other regional countries will be a driving force for financial development and contribute to the emerging finance technology sector, or Fintech. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/imf-make-youth-a-demographic-dividend/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/39134/imf--make-youth-a-demographic-dividend/
A fray in US economic ties?
The deteriorating political climate in Cambodia and ramped up government rhetoric against the United States could end up jeopardising the Kingdom’s economic relations with the US, its largest single trading partner, analysts have warned. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/a-fray-in-us-economic-ties/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/fray-us-economic-ties
PM calls CNRP a ‘terrorist network’
Prime Minister Hun Sen branded the opposition party a “terrorist network” yesterday, while vowing to “cut the arms and legs” of the alleged operation and its purported attempt at “colour revolution” after the disputed 2013 national election. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pm-calls-cnrp-a-terrorist-network/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Ben Sokhean and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-calls-cnrp-terrorist-network
Tobacco turns over a new leaf
Agriculture officiAls And struggling smAllholder tobAcco fArmers Are cAutiously hopeful thAt tAriff exemptions grAnted under A new trAde Agreement with VietnAm will lift sAgging demAnd for their crops. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/tobAcco-turns-over-A-new-leAf/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/tobacco-turns-over-new-leaf