Eyes on Sokha not welcome: lawyers
Jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha’s lawyers have said that they are under surveillance during meetings with their client in Tbong Khmum’s Trapaing Thlong prison, which they yesterday called a violation of their rights ensuring client-attorney conversations are confidential. ...
Chhay Channyda and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/eyes-sokha-not-welcome-lawyers
GE looks to deal with government on coal plants
US-based energy giant General Electric (GE) hopes to finalise an agreement with the Ministry of Mines and Energy by November that would see the Kingdom’s coal and gas plants using emissions-monitoring technology for the first time, company executives said yesterday. ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ge-looks-deal-government-coal-plants
Bracing for protests, authorities to prevent citizens from entering capital for Sokha trial
Anticipating popular unrest surrounding the “treason” trial of opposition leader Kem Sokha, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on Friday instructed provincial governors, police chiefs and officers to block people from travelling to the capital and to prevent any attempts at demonstrations. ...
Mech Dara and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bracing-protests-authorities-prevent-citizens-entering-capital-sokha-trial
Tbong Khmum to crack down on illegal Vietnam border checkpoints
Tbong Khmum provincial officials have announced a crackdown on illegal checkpoints along the Vietnamese border, possibly in response to a purported warning issued by Prime Minister Hun Sen to provincial Governor Ly Leng to monitor the transport of timber in the province. Local media reports contend ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/tbong-khmum-crack-down-illegal-vietnam-border-checkpoints
Halal food regulations unveiled
The Commerce Ministry announced a standardised certification process for halal food in Cambodia yesterday, a move that was praised by Muslim religious leaders and food producers. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/halal-food-regulations-unveiled
Annual cold spell on the way: weather official
Ministry spokesman Mao Hak said yesterday that seasonal rains are expected to taper off in mid-November, with cooler winds sweeping into the Kingdom from Siberia and Tibet, promising a “winter” even cooler than last year’s, in which some areas saw temperatures as low as 18 ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/annual-cold-spell-way-weather-official
Telcos called to pay debts
Frustrated with the lack of compliance, the government has given the Kingdom’s mobile operators an ultimatum: declare their company revenue shares and settle all outstanding debts owed to the government by the end of the month or face swift and severe punitive action. ...
Kali Kotoski and Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/telcos-called-pay-debts
Minister praises 2013 protest crackdown
The Labor Minister yesterday lauded the government’s crackdown of a garment worker protest back in late 2013 and early 2014, which he claimed was necessary to avoid a war. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36168/minister-praises-2013-protest-crackdown/
Customs recorded less than 1% of Singapore sand imports
Cambodia’s customs department counted less than 1 percent of the sand Singapore reported importing from Cambodia last year, according to trade statistics. The new data is the latest addition to a more than 77 million ton gap from 2007 to last year that the governments ...
Ben Paviour
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/customs-recorded-less-than-1-of-singapore-sand-imports-130663/
CNRP MP seeks clarity on sand-dredging ban
Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay yesterday submitted a letter to National Assembly President Heng Samrin to forward to Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem requesting more information on sand-dredging operations and a sand-processing facility in Koh Kong province, following a recent ban on exports from ...
Yesenia Amaro and Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-mp-seeks-clarity-sand-dredging-ban
Cambodia falls further behind in competitiveness
Cambodia slid further down the rankings of global competitiveness on this year’s Global Competitiveness Report, which showed the Kingdom dropping five notches on the annual index to hold its position as the second least competitive country in Asean after Laos. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/cambodia-falls-further-behind-competitiveness
Loaded with lizards
Military Police officials apprehended two suspects in Takeo province’s Angkor Borei district on Monday for attempting to transport around 1 tonne of wildlife, including turtles, birds and rare snakes, to Vietnam. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/loaded-lizards
Businesses told to ban drugs
The Interior Ministry on Friday warned guesthouses and clubs that they will face the law if they do not step up their efforts to ban illegal drugs use in their facilities. As part of the ministry’s ongoing campaign against drugs, the ministry said it has ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5088222/businesses-told-ban-drugs/
Government defers logging permits
The Council of Ministers has ordered a temporary suspension to permits for clearing and transporting timber from the reservoir area of the Lower Sesan II Dam until after the upcoming elections in July, with a government official yesterday saying illegal logging was “out of control”, ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/government-defers-logging-permits
Gov’t to incentivise electric bus imports
The government is working on a policy to encourage imports of high-quality electric buses. Chhoun Voun, director-general of the Department of Land Transport at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, told Khmer Times yesterday they are drafting a “land transport policy” that will include ...
Chhut Bunthoeun
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50667515/govt-to-incentivise-electric-bus-imports/
RDB set to distribute $50M to rice millers to sustain paddy market
The state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) has announced that it will distribute $50 million in loans to private rice millers to sustain the paddy market for farmers. The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) said the funds will be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of paddy ...
Thou Vireak
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rdb-set-distribute-50m-rice-millers-sustain-paddy-market
Government considering national oil company
The Ministry of Mines and Energy is in the early stages of developing a national oil company, a ministry spokesman said Wednesday. Meng Saktheara, who is also a secretary of state, said his ministry had been working with the Finance Ministry to assess the risks of ...
Kang Sothear and Chris Mueller
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-considering-national-oil-company-79538/
Finance ministry sets forth rough plans for 2016 budget
The Ministry of Finance unveiled its strategic plan for next year’s budget during a forum Tuesday at the ministry in Phnom Penh, placing a focus on increasing state revenue, ramping up industrial productivity and spreading the benefits of economic expansion. ...
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/finance-ministry-sets-forth-rough-plans-for-2016-budget-81622/
Mines Ministry issues new dredging licences
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has announced that it will grant two sand dredging licences around Phnom Penh Port, just days after declaring that no new licences would be issued until economic impact assessments had been carried out. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/mines-ministry-issues-new-dredging-licences
Ministry to review oil company’s plans
The company that has been given production rights over a 5,500-square-km area off the coast of Sihanoukville known as Block D has been given 10 days to submit their exploration plans to be reviewed by the Mines and Energy Ministry, a spokesman said Thursday. ...
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/ministry-to-review-oil-companys-plans-85061/