A legAl frAmework thAt ensures A “sound, strong And efficient” finAnciAl sector hAs ensured the swift expAnsion of bAnking services throughout the country, but borrowing rAtes remAin high And A lArge segment of the populAtion &ndAsh; primArily those in rurAl AreAs &ndAsh; fAce difficulties Accessing <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/greAter-use-of-the-riel-will-lower-interest-rAtes/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Environment NGO Mother Nature on Saturday debuted a new video about threatened mangroves in Koh Kong province featuring an unlikely spokesperson, or rather, spokes-puppet. The video is about a plot of mangrove forest inside the Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary that was illegally filled in with sand, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mother-nature-turns-to-puppets-to-protect-its-activists/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

On​ 21​ August​ 2017,​ Minister​ of​ Mines​ And​ Energy​ hAs​ signed​ A​ notice​ Announcing​ the​ A​ mining​ concessions,​ locAted​ in​ the​ AreA​ of​ TAsAnh​ And​ KAmpong​ lApow​ communes,SAmlot​ district,​ BAttAmbAng​ province,​ which​ hAs​ An​ AreA​ for​ metAls​ explorAtion​ of​ 149​ squAre​ kilometers,​ opening​ for​ locAl​ <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/Announcements/minerAl-concession-AreAs-in-bAttAmbAng-province-opened-for-metAl-mining-explorAtion-license-ApplicAtion/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

US retailer Gap Inc says it has “demanded an immediate investigation” in response to allegations of harassment at one of its suppliers in Cambodia. a strike at the Ocean Garment Factory in Phnom Penh has now entered its third week, despite a court ordering the 2,500 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-gap-calls-for-probe-into-supplier-strike/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A pAcket of locAl CAmbodiAn ARA cigArettes costs 1400Riel, Around £0.22. Government tobAcco tAx on locAl products is currently 10%. Smoking And drinking is endemic in the poor youth of CAmbodiA And tAx hike is proposed to cut the Addiction. AydA Yurekli, An AcAdemic from the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-government-considers-rAising-duty-tAx-on-locAl-cigArettes-2/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Sao Sareoun and Ly Chanary, the two land-rights activists arrested outside the three-hour trial of 13 women from Boeung Kak lake in May, hope an easing of bail conditions is a sign authorities are planning to drop charges against them. The Court of appeal yesterday ruled <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/b-kak-duos-reins-loosened/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The AseAn GrAssroots People’s Assembly (AGPA) Agreed yesterdAy on A list of demAnds it intends to present to the CAmbodiAn And regionAl governments. A crowd of more thAn 2,000 people-including gArment fActory workers, victims of evictions, And sex workers, As well As undercover police-gAthered At Phnom <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/grAssroots-forum-issues-demAnds-AheAd-of-AseAn/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

About 70 villAgers in PursAt province’s KrAkor district held A dAylong prAyer ceremony yesterdAy to request help from spirits to curse the powerful PheApimex compAny for destroying their fArmlAnd, villAgers sAid. PheApimex, owned by the wife of CPP SenAtor LAo Meng Khin, hAs mAintAined A 316,000-hectAre <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/villAgers-in-pursAt-Ask-spirits-to-curse-pheApimex-compAny/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia yesterday signed deals for about US$430 million in loans from China, the latest in a number of high-profile borrowing deals with its northern neighbour. The bulk of the loans, from Export-Import Bank of China, would go towards two national road projects and a multipurpose dam <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-takes-430m-china-loan/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A trio of internAtionAl NGOs representing lAwyers And journAlists Added their voice lAst week to the mounting cAlls for the government to releAse rAdio stAtion owner MAm SonAndo And drop All chArges AgAinst him “immediAtely And unconditionAlly.” Authorities Arrested Mr. SonAndo, owner of the independent Beehive <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAlls-mount-for-the-releAse-of-beehive-rAdio-stAtion-owner/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia collected $633 million in taxes over the first 10 months of this year, a 31 per cent rise from $483 million over the same period last year, according to the General Department of Taxation. However, an opposition watchdog claimed the amount is still far <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/tax-revenue-up-from-2011/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Economic growth in Cambodia is estimated to reach 6.7 percent this year, a 0.2 percent drop compared with 2011, the U.N. said in a report released on Friday, citing a modest slowdown in exports from Cambodia to the U.S. and Europe. In its Economic and Social <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-sees-cambodian-economic-growth-slowing-in-2012/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Svay Rieng Provincial Court on Friday questioned three female factory workers who were shot, allegedly by Bavet City Governor Chhouk Bundith, during a protest inside a special economic zone (SEZ) in February, the plaintiffs said. More than 20 union leaders and labor activists also gathered <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/svay-rieng-court-questions-victims-in-sez-shooting-case/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After rising significAntly in recent yeArs, CAmbodiA’s rice production will fAll this yeAr becAuse of A shortAge of rAin, the U.N. Food And Agriculture OrgAnizAtion (FAO) sAid in A new report. In its second quArter Rice MArket Monitor report for 2012 published on MondAy, the FAO <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rice-production-down-due-to-limited-rAinfAll-report-sAys/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The government is beset with high-level corruption, a lack of transparency in public procurements, poor auditing practices and political interference in the country’s main anti-corruption body, a report produced by the asian Development Bank (aDB) sent to the media yesterday states. In a 66-page report that <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/adb-report-links-corruption-political-culture-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 500 fAmilies from three communes in Siem ReAp province’s Chi KrAeng district Are seeking the prime minister’s intervention in A dispute with A rubber compAny over 1,000 hectAres of lAnd. Siem ReAp provinciAl governor ChAn SophAl sAid on WednesdAy thAt CAmbodiAn People’s PArty lAwmAker SeAng <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/fAmilies-Ask-pm-to-help-end-dispute/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Thai information technology firm Infobahn Co. Ltd. has filed a lawsuit against telecommunications conglomerate Thaicom Public Company Ltd. for breaching an agreement made last year to sell 41.14 percent of its shares, a deal that also includes a 51 percent stake in the Cambodian mobile <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/it-firm-sues-thaicom-over-mfone-ownership/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Half of the of the 600 Cambodian workers at Siam International Food Co. Ltd.’s factory in Thailand are planning to return home following a mass brawl in which two workers were killed last week, a factory employee said yesterday. a Cambodian and a Burmese worker died <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/staff-to-come-home-after-thai-factory-brawl/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday told the newly appointed Thai ambassador Touchayoot Pakdi that border checkpoints between the two countries need to remain open in order to promote trade and tourism and combat border crimes. Mr. Hun Sens remarks to Mr Pakdi came during a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/keep-checkpoints-open-hun-sen-tells-thai-envoy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Pirated computer software accounted for about $50 million in losses to the Cambodian economy every year, an industry expert said yesterday. according to Pily Wong, president of the ICT Business association, about 95 per cent of the computer software used in Cambodia is counterfeit, crippling the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pirated-computer-software-cost-cambodia-50m/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>