Panama papers link Justice minister to fraudsters
Two convicted Cambodian-American fraudsters were named among five shareholders, including Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana, in a shadowy offshore company based in the British Virgin Islands in the latest trove of “Panama Papers,” which were released on Tuesday. ...
Taylor O'Connell and Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/panama-papers-link-justice-minister-to-fraudsters-112429/
Minimum wage talks scheduled
The Ministry of Labor has instructed employers and unions in the country’s crucial garment sector to begin preparations for the next round of minimum wage negotiations. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/minimum-wage-talks-scheduled-113638/
Government sets dates for auction of final lots of seized timber
The government has set the dates to auction off the last of the 71,000 cubic meters of illegally logged timber seized by authorities this year, carrying on a practice riddled with signs of corruption in the past. ...
New centre for mentally ill planned in wake of Prey Speu mass escape
After a mass escape of 70 inmates from the notorious Prey Speu centre on Sunday, the government said they would take mentally ill people rounded up off the streets and house them on the same site as a Kandal orphanage. ...
Kong Meta and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-centre-mentally-ill-planned-wake-prey-speu-mass-escape
Auctions called off for most of seized timber
The government has given up on trying to auction off the majority of 71,000 cubic meters of illegally logged timber seized by authorities earlier this year amid a persistent lack of interest from potential buyers. រដ្ឋាភិបាលបានបញ្ឈប់ការព្យាយាមលក់ដេញថ្លៃចំពោះឈើភាគច្រើននៃចំនួនសរុប ៧១ ០០០ ម៉ែត្រគូប ដែលបានមកពីការរឹបអូសដោយអាជ្ញាធរកាលពីដើមឆ្នាំនេះ ខណៈពេលដែលមានកង្វះខាតនៃចំណាប់អារម្មណ៍ពីអ្នកទិញ។ ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/auctions-called-off-for-most-of-seized-timber-116042/
32 Vietnamese arrested in Phnom Penh immigration raids
Thirty-two Vietnamese nationals were arrested during raids by immigration police in Phnom Penh’s Toul Kork district yesterday morning, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Keo Vanthorn. ...
Bun Sengkong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/32-vietnamese-arrested-phnom-penh-immigration-raids
Protect coastal areas: government
Following an unusually high number of drownings in coastal areas in the past month, the Ministry of Tourism has instructed the tourism departments in coastal provinces to continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure safety, public order and cleanliness. A statement released by Minister of ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28926/protect-coastal-areas--government/
Teachers demand higher wages
The Cambodian Independent Teacher Association (CITA), along with about 100 teachers from various provinces, gathered at Freedom Park in Phnom Penh yesterday to mark International Teachers’ Day and demanded the government further increase their minimum wage to at least $370, not including additional bonuses. CITA acting ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30460/teachers-demand-higher-wages/
New tourism strategy to focus on Chinese market
A new five-year plan is being drafted to woo more Chinese tourists to the Kingdom, following a surge in visitors from the world’s most populous nation, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said yesterday. /Sum Manet ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/20580/new-tourism-strategy-to-focus-on-chinese-market/
Company denies responsibility in chicken deaths
The cause of death of more than 11,000 diseased broiler chickens found dumped in a canal in Kompong Thom province last month has been identified as an infectious virus transmittable to humans, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s animal health department. ...
Khy Sovuthy and Taylor O'Connell
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/company-denies-responsibility-in-chicken-deaths-107679/
Illegal construction sites surge almost 40 percent: Gov’t
The number of construction sites without permits rose almost 40 percent in the capital last year, with officials and realtors putting this down to a lack of understanding of regulations. ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/21906/illegal-construction-sites-surge-almost-40-percent--gov---t/
Rights groups warn of tough Telecoms law
Local rights groups have raised major concerns about Cambodia’s sweeping new Telecommunications Law, which gives the government virtually unchecked spying powers and criminalizes any electronic communication deemed to cause “national insecurity.” ...
Zsombor Peter and Anthony Jensen
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/rights-groups-warn-of-tough-telecoms-law-109837/
Kingdom needs to support women and girls, minister says
Women’s Affairs Minister Dr. Ung Kanthaphavy addressed multiple points regarding the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in the Kingdom during a two-day meeting reviewing the ministry’s work in 2015 and planning its goals for 2016 yesterday. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/23353/kingdom-needs-to-support-women-and-girls--minister-says/
Scammers pretend to be senior officials, threaten governors
The Ministry of Interior has ordered National Police to investigate a scam in which unidentified callers claimed to be senior officials at the ministry and the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in an attempt to extort money from district governors, according to a letter issued on April ...
Chhorn Chansy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/scammers-pretend-to-be-senior-officials-threaten-governors-110794/
Culture ministry bans film on forest activist Chut Wutty
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has banned a screening of a documentary film about murdered environmentalist Chut Wutty and threatened “strong action” against the venue if films continue to be shown without first being cleared by the government. ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/culture-ministry-bans-film-forest-activist-chut-wutty
Offshore holdings are up for grabs, justice minister jokes
Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana quipped over the weekend that anyone who can find his offshore financial holdings—revealed earlier this month as part of the “Panama Papers” leak—can keep the money, according to Information Minister Khieu Kanharith. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/offshore-holdings-are-up-for-grabs-justice-minister-jokes-111464/
Rain and storms coming, says committee
More than 1,200 houses and buildings were affected and more than 70 people died or were injured by rainstorms and lightning in the first four months of 2016, according to Keo Vy, Cabinet director and a spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM). ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24486/rain-and-storms-coming--says-committee/
ABA bank gets capital boost
With a $148 million injection of capital through a Share Purchase Agreement, National Bank of Canada (NBC) now holds a 90 percent stake in ABA Bank, according to ABA and NBC executives, who ensured that the agreement will not alter ABA Bank’s strategy but enhance ...
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24800/aba-bank-gets-capital-boost/
Government readies new Nauru visit to meet refugees
The Interior Ministry has made tentative plans to send a delegation of three people to the South Pacific island of Nauru next month to meet and vet two more refugees who have volunteered to resettle in Cambodia. ...
Zsombor Peter and Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-readies-new-nauru-visit-to-meet-refugees-112947/
NBC modernizes payment system
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) received a grant totaling $8 million from the South Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to modernize its national retail payment system as the Kingdom gets ready to trade in the Asean Economic Community. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25854/nbc-modernizes-payment-system/