Economy and commerce
Investment
Ho Chi Minh City EXPO 2014 in Cambodia opens in May
The Vietnam-Cambodia International Trade Fair and Exhibitions 2014, also known as Ho Chi Minh City EXPO 2014, will be held at Koh Pich Convention Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 7-11. ...
Thao Tien
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/2014/4/108657/
World Bank says Cambodia has most liberal foreign investment regime in ASEAN
The World Bank says Cambodia has the most open foreign direct investment regime in ASEAN while Thailand has the most restrictive. In a report released Monday, the bank also said that Cambodia had recently emerged as ASEAN’s second-biggest recipient of foreign direct investment in the agricultural ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=OGM2MTVmYTQ0NTM
Cambodia leads doubts over AEC
In a rare moment of honesty a Cambodian official has admitted his doubts about his country’s ability to meet regional expectations in time for the launch of the much vaunted ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the end of 2015. “If you talk about short-term: Yes, we ...
Luke Hunt
http://thediplomat.com/2014/04/cambodia-leads-doubts-over-aec/
Angkor ready for surge of tourists
Siem Reap hotel operators are preparing for a deluge of tourists this Khmer New Year season the likes of which is not often seen, tourism officials say. Chheuy Chhorn, deputy director of Siem Reap’s tourism department, said after attracting 170,000 visitors to the first annual Angkor ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/angkor-ready-surge-tourists
Linking the worst factories with the labels
The building that housed USA Fully Field Garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district stands empty now. The grounds are littered with garbage and boxes full of dusty brand labels that were stitched onto clothes by almost 400 workers before the factory owner fled in ...
Simon Henderson and Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/linking-the-worst-factories-with-the-labels-55839/
Labor Ministry, ILO set out plan for minimum wage reforms
Facing public pressure from major garment brands and labor unions, the Ministry of Labor and the International Labor Organization (ILO) will cooperate in the coming months to reform the current system of setting the minimum wage in the garment sector. The reform process will begin with ...
Aun Pheap and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/labor-ministry-ilo-set-out-plan-for-minimum-wage-reforms-55869/
Railway audit finds poor maintenance of tracks
Toll Royal Railway, the private operator of Cambodia’s train service, has no system in place to regularly inspect the state of its tracks, and lacks qualified inspectors to check either tracks or bridges, according to a recent safety audit of the firm’s Phnom Penh operations. The ...
Zsombor Peter and Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/railway-audit-finds-poor-maintenance-of-tracks-55756/
Cambodian parliament ratifies protocol on Cambodia-Vietnam investment agreement
The National Assembly of Cambodia on Thursday ratified a protocol on the investment promotion and protection agreement between the governments of Cambodia and Vietnam. All 64 lawmakers of the ruling party, who were present at the parliamentary session, unanimously approved the protocol as the opposition party’s ...
Global Times News Staff
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/852568.shtml#.Uz4WwfmSxqU
Child labor probe on Preah Vihear sugar plantation moves forward
Police in Preah Vihear province say they have uncovered more evidence of child labor on a Chinese-owned sugarcane plantation and will send the case to court if further investigation confirms their preliminary findings. A former employee of the Lan Feng plantation filed a complaint last month ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/child-labor-probe-on-preah-vihear-sugar-plantation-moves-forward-55643/
Downtown residences for lease
Less than a year after all refurbishments were completed on Hongkong Land’s Central Mansions – formerly Colonial Mansions – the classic residential units in the heart of Phnom Penh’s burgeoning financial, government and office-rental district are enjoying occupancy rates of close to 100 per cent, ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/downtown-residences-lease
Paint sales grow with investment in the construction sector
Economic growth and increasing investment in construction have facilitated sales of paint this year. Thas Chantrea, sales manager of Jotun Cambodia, said his company’s sales of paint products from Thailand and Malaysia saw an increase of 50 per cent in the first quarter of this year ...
Siv Meng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/paint-sales-grow-investment-construction-sector
Beer poised to earn big during New Year season
Grocery and beer sales are expected to spike during April as Khmer New Year preparations ramp up, retail industry officials said yesterday. Hy Ramy, managing director of HRM (Cambodia) Group, a food and beverage distribution company specialising in canned foods, condiments and beverages, said he expects ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/beer-poised-earn-big-during-new-year-season
Unions, GMAC tussle over New Year strike
Garment worker unions have tangled with factory owners over the unions’ plan to use the coming Khmer New Year holiday to launch a nationwide strike. A coalition of eight unions will send a letter today to the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) stating that workers ...
Mech Dara and Matt Blomberg
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/unions-gmac-tussle-over-new-year-strike-55543/
ADB predicts slower growth for 2014
The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday said it expects Cambodia’s economic growth to slow slightly in 2014. In its annual “Asian Development Outlook,” the bank said it expects to see a drop in the rate from about 7.2 percent last year to 7 percent this year ...
Suy Heimkhemra
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/adb-predicts-slower-growth-for-2014/1883732.html
Brands ‘failing their workers’
European mega-brands are not doing enough to ensure that the Cambodian workers who make their products receive a basic living wage, according to a report released today. Tailored Wages, an analysis of 50 of Europe’s biggest clothing brands, found that many major high-street chains are doing ...
Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/brands-%E2%80%98failing-their-workers%E2%80%99
Aeon MFI to expand in Cambodia
Aeon Microfinance (Cambodia) plans to expand its branches in Cambodia this year and also diversify its products from the current base after two years of operating in the Kingdom, officials with the company say. Until now, the microfinance institution (MFI) – which is part of the ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/aeon-mfi-expand-cambodia
Royal Group affirms its commitment to ANZ
Local conglomerate Royal Group said Tuesday that while it is committed to its partnership with Australia-based ANZ bank, it would entertain selling its stake in ANZ Royal Bank for “a very high offer.” “The Royal Group would like to clarify that it is a strong and ...
Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/royal-group-affirms-its-commitment-to-anz-54904/
GMAC to explain Cambodian behavior to foreign managers
The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia says it will hold a workshop next month to explain to foreign managers why Cambodians behave in certain ways. “This workshop will provide the participants with relevant cultural information about the Cambodian workers and will show the different perspectives from ...
The Cambodia Herald
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=YTI4NTZjNDI3ZmI
A recipe for disaster
Small plastic packets filled with a mix of pills of various sizes, shapes and colours sit piled on the counter of a pharmacy in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district, home to several large garment factories. At 2,000 riel a pop, about 50 cents, these packs are sold ...
Kevin Ponniah and Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/recipe-disaster
Small-scale construction firms suffer amid slump in demand
Small business owners in the pillar construction industry say they are facing hard times as demand increases for large pillars but diminishes for small-scale construction. Chheang Bona, director of 7FTD Co, Ltd in Vihear Sour commune, in Kandal province’s Ksach Kandal district, said that his ...
The Editor
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/small-scale-construction-firms-suffer-amid-slump-demand
Koh Russey, a jewel by the sea
After its November launch in Hong Kong, Alila Villas Koh Russey will break ground late next month, initiating the construction of a world-class luxury resort. Alila Villas occupies 25 hectares on Koh Russey, an island in the Koh Rong archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand, with ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/koh-russey-jewel-sea
Firm plans more bus lines
Chinese firm Global (Cambodia) Trade Development will launch several more city bus lines in Phnom Penh over the next 10 months, dramatically expanding what has so far been a successful experiment to introduce mass transit to the capital, the company and state media said yesterday. Lin ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/firm-plans-more-bus-lines
Labor minister responds to brands’ concerns
Labor Minister Ith Sam Heng said Tuesday that he has sent a letter responding to 30 international clothing brands who recently wrote to the government expressing their concerns over a draft union law which could allow for the arbitrary breakup of unions. Speaking outside a conference ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/labor-minister-responds-to-brands-concerns-54931/
ANZ keen to exit Cambodia bank stake
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd, the country’s third-biggest lender, is keen to exit its holding in Cambodia and will look at wholly owned business models wherever regulations allow. “We got out of a relationship, a small relationship, in Vietnam. We would like to ...
The Business Times News Staff
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/breaking-news/asia/anz-keen-exit-cambodia-bank-stake-20140325