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”, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-defers-logging-permits/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Garment Manufacturers association in Cambodia (GMaC) expressed its dissatisfaction on the decision of fixing minimum wage in a new level of 123 USD, which later on the government decided unilaterally add 5 USD more, making the new applied minimum wage up to 128 USD in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/announcements/the-statement-of-the-garment-manufacturers-association-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police in Siem Reap province yesterday shuttered an unlicensed medical clinic they say was using more than 100 unregistered medicines, though the clinic’s owner insisted the raid was in response to rival clinics complaining about their prices being undercut by his charitable operation. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/doctor-group-subject-of-police-investigation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Kampot provincial authorities have warned some 100 families who have settled on land within Bokor National Park to leave or face eviction. In a letter, the authorities say the families are living illegally on state land in Chhouk district’s Decho aphivat commune that is part of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kampot-officials-order-families-to-leave-bokor/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Last week, the crane on the top of Gold Tower 42 was removed, adding to the sense that the completion of the Korean-owned skyscraper is ultimately a distant hope. The owner of the unfinished skyscraper, sitting at the corner of Sihanouk and Monivong Boulevards entered into <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/crane-removed-from-gold-tower-42/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National Election Committee (NEC) of Cambodia will test a computerized voter registration system in august or September of this year, according to a statement from the NEC. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/nec-to-test-automated-voter-registration/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodian trade officials are urging their Chinese counterparts to boost imports of Cambodian rubber, cassava, sugar and pepper to narrow the trade imbalance between the two countries, officials said after a meeting last week. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/trade-officials-aim-for-bigger-bite-of-chinas-market/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National Election Committee will begin a voter registration pilot project in 43 villages in November, using a new computer system to store data as the country heads toward local elections in 2017. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/nec-too-test-computerized-voter-registration/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Cambodia Valuers and Estate agents association (CVEa) and Emerald Plus Property Service Management (EPPSM) struck a deal with Dae Yang Constructor and Real Estate association from Sichuan Province to help each other find investment, development and trading opportunities. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chinese-sign-real-estate-partnership/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A memorAndum of understAnding between CAmbodiA And the United NAtions hAs been stAlled for Almost 10 months thAnks to the government’s insistence thAt An updAted version include pointed references to the concept of “non-interference” lifted from the UN chArter, the Post hAs leArned. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mou-with-un-stAlled-by-government/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia hopes to see Japanese investment in the light industry sector, which will help develop the kingdom’s labor force. Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, in a meeting last week with Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Hidehisa Horinouchi, asked Japan to consider investing in the light industry sector. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-investment-in-light-industry-desired/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A new report &ndAsh; 10 YeArs of the Better FActories CAmbodiA Project: A criticAl evAluAtion &ndAsh; hAs been releAsed by CleAn Clothes CAmpAign And Community LegAl EducAtion Center. StArted in 2001, the goAl of the Better FActories progrAm is to improve the working conditions in <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/new-report-evAluAtes-decAde-of-better-fActories-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) last month signed a prakas, a ministerial decision, to ensure tax agents’ professionalism, an insider told the Post yesterday. after the full implementation of Prakas 455, signed on april 12, agents have to pay one million riel to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/prakas-set-to-control-tax-agents/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government has approved more than $9 billion this year for capital investment in the construction sector, a nearly 80 per cent increase on last year, with most of the growth coming from projects in Sihanoukville, according to Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/govt-approves-9b-worth-of-building-projects-in-2019/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After two And A hAlf yeArs, Chevron’s CAmbodiA country mAnAger, Steve Glick, will move on from his position in whAt the oil And gAs giAnt cAlled A routine rotAtion, According to A stAtement releAsed yesterdAy. Glick, who cAme to the job in 2011, will be “tAking <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/oil-And-gAs-giAnt-chevron-rotAtes-locAl-personnel/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In a significant move aimed at bolstering economic ties between India and Cambodia, the India-Cambodia Joint Business Council (ICJBC) was officially launched on Friday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/india-cambodia-joint-business-council-launched/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Swisscontact, on behalf of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Global alliance for Trade Facilitation (GaTF), on February 8 launched a new e-trade portal project in partnership with two Cambodian government institutions &ndash; the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) and Cambodia Post. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/digital-link-between-post-customs-launched/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Although VietnAm wAs rAnked Among the top ten in AppArel exports to the EuropeAn Union in 2015, it wAs outperformed by one of its neighboring countries. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAs-textile-mArket-shAre-outdoes-vietnAms-in-europeAn-union/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Twenty &ndash; eight leaders from various business sectors in Southeast asia came together last month to create a strategy to propel the Kingdom’s sustainable development with actionable and measurable targets.​ <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sea-leaders-create-development-strategy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Both Cambodia and the World Trade Organisation this week called on the United States to follow China’s lead in promising zero-tariff treatment to Least Developed Countries. Chinese President Hu Jintao, in a speech at the G20 summit in Cannes, France, on Friday, announced China would grant <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kingdom-wto-call-on-us-to-drop-tariffs/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>