The Free Trade Union on Thursday submitted a letter to the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh requesting that embassy officials investigate a Japanese-owned garment factory in Kompong Speu province that it claims tried to intimidate a union representative late last year. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/union-asks-embassy-to-investigate-factory/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The increased cultivation area of Kampot pepper has offset losses due to drought, with farmers of the premium quality peppercorn estimating that production could reach 80 tonnes in the coming harvest, nearly 40 per cent more than last season. The association’s 242 members have planted <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kampot-pepper-defying-drought-fears/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Ministry of Social affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation will start dispensing pensions for former civil servants and veterans at select aTMs starting in april. Minister Vong Soth issued a notice yesterday stating that pensioners will be able to withdraw their monthly allocations from Canadia Bank <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pensions-to-be-paid-through-atms/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Interior Ministry’s penal department on Monday questioned two representatives of the Cambodian alliance of Trade Unions (CaTU) over claims that they incited violence during protests at a Kandal province garment factory in late December. Jack Liu, director-general of Tainan Enterprises (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., filed a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/union-reps-questioned-over-violent-protests/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The former country partner and staff of Grant Thornton Law and associates in Cambodia have joined the accountancy and advisory firm BDO Malaysia effective July 1, according to a statement. as a result, BDO Cambodia’s team will now comprise over 30 staff and partners, a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/bdo-expands-cambodia-operations-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Korean investors are relocating labour-intensive businesses to countries such as Cambodia after Indonesia raised its minimum wage. a number of Korean investors had closed their Indonesian factories and relocated to other countries in the region because their requests for minimum-wage exemption had been refused, The Jakarta <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/investors-from-korea-relocate-to-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government has signed off on a proposal to designate more than 9 hectares of land along Phnom Penh’s riverfront as state-private land, opening it up for private investment or long-term leasing. The 9.25-hectare stretch of riverfront from the capital’s Night Market to the Chroy <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/land-on-capitals-riverfront-is-opened-up-for-investment/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In an attempt to crack down on rampant cheating on nationwide testing, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has announced that primary and high school teachers will begin individually authoring and writing final exams on the white board for the 2014 academic term, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/test-changes-target-cheats/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Failed Cambodian telco Mfone owes at least $65 million to multiple creditors that sources say include the government. a court injunction to freeze Mfone‘s assets, obtained by the Post yesterday, shows Mfone owes Chinese telco provider Huawei Technologies more than $65 million. Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mfone-65-million-in-debt/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia may soon have new standardised exams to hold its students, teachers and education system accountable. “Everyone agrees that the improved enrolment rates in primary school is an accomplishment; at the same time, everyone also calls for quality-control improvement [which] means better testing,” said Jan <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/national-testing-could-widen/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The AsiAn HumAn Rights Commission hAs lAunched An online petition to pressure the CAmbodiAn government to releAse 21 union Activists And workers chArged in connection with lAbor protests lAst month. Twenty-three workers were Arrested in A violent crAckdown by government police And security forces eArly JAnuAry, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rights-group-lAunches-petition-for-releAse-of-21-demonstrAtors/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The majority of small and medium enterprises are still unaware of how to comply with new tax regulations that came into force at the end of last year, according to an Economy Ministry official. Srun angkaren, a deputy director in the general department of taxation, said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/smes-urged-to-comply-with-tax-changes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s garment factories have indicated they will reject demands for an increase in the minimum wage next year, angering unions and risking upheaval in a crucial economic sector for years dogged by unrest. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-unions-warn-of-strikes-as-factories-indicate-no-wage-raise/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

On May 19, 2015, the European Union (EU) adopted a Joint Communication: The EU and aSEaN: a partnership with a strategic purpose. The communication calls for taking “trade relations with aSEaN to a different level and working towards an ambitious region-to-region free trade agreement (FTa) <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/time-to-revisit-an-asean-eu-fta/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Germany’s international development agency (GIZ) held a workshop on Tuesday that promoted Cambodian agricultural exports to China, focusing on the necessary export guidelines and the sanitation standards that are often lacking in the Kingdom’s agricultural value chains. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/germany-led-meet-seeks-to-get-produce-to-china/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s garment sector has the highest rate of unionization of any industry in asia, Cambodia Federation of Employers and Business associations Van Sou Leng said Tuesday. “Major efforts are needed to improve the quality of workplace relations,” Van said in a statement posted on the Camfeba <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-garment-sector-has-asias-highest-rate-of-unionization/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AheAd of InternAtionAl Women’s DAy, the United NAtions’ Committee on the EliminAtion of DiscriminAtion AgAinst Women (CEDAW) issued A stAtement highlighting the importAnt roles rurAl women And girls plAy in society while stressing the need to protect And promote their rights. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rurAl-women-vitAl-to-society-un/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Garment Manufacturers association in Cambodia (GMaC) has pledged to mobilise support from around 700 of its member companies for demining work in Cambodia, with a fund-raising event scheduled for November 17. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/gmac-mobilising-support-for-mine-clearance/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Manet said that the aSEaN digital economy is capable of doubling its current value of around $1 trillion to reach a market cap of $2 trillion by 2030. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/asean-digital-economy-set-to-double-to-2-trillion-by-2030/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A teAcher At TeA ChAmrAth High School in PursAt town hAs Accused school director Bou SovAnnArith And deputy director Chhub BunthA of forcing students to pAy bribes in the form of, Among other things, enrolment fees for mAtriculAtion into the 2013-2014 AcAdemic yeAr. PhAt MAlin, the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/officiAls-demAnded-bribes-teAcher-sAy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>