Ministries and other national bodies

The Preah Vihear Provincial Agriculture Department on Monday ordered its staff to help farmers by buying up invasive golden apple snails that are currently destroying their rice fields, according to the head of the department. ...

The industry body representing the Kingdom’s myriad microfinance institutions (MFIs) threw down the gauntlet yesterday, announcing that its members had categorically rejected a government directive that orders them to charge a value-added tax (VAT) on financial services fees and would not apply it. ...

The Environment Ministry plans to plant 500,000 trees in protected areas across the country this year, to boost forest cover and improve the livelihoods of communities. ...

Cambodia’s economic growth is expected to remain stable this year with inflation rising slightly on increases in the costs of global fuel and food prices, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) concluded following its annual consultation visit to the Kingdom. ...

he Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Environment expect to complete a national draft eco-tourism policy by August to coincide with the second National Forum on the Protection and Conservation of Natural Resources, an environment official said yesterday. ...

Mondulkiri’s provincial police chief has been removed from his post less than two weeks after he spearheaded an investigation into military and police officials accused of involvement in illegal timber smuggling to Vietnam. ...

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) organised a consultation workshop yesterday to gather information and comments from agriculture sector stakeholders to assist in the preparation of a 2018 national budget that would better support to the sector. ...

A private sector task force set up by Cambodia’s pig farmers to monitor live swine imports and investigate reports of illicit smuggling has been disbanded after receiving a cold reception from government officials, the initiative’s leader said yesterday. ...

The Ministry of Interior has issued a warning to election watchdogs Comfrel and Nicfec, ordering them to halt their activities that allegedly violate their NGO obligation of neutrality. ...

Hundreds of fearful and confused Cambodian migrant workers—including those with legal documentation—are continuing to flee Thailand, workers said on Tuesday, even as both the Cambodian and Thai governments called for calm among the migrant workforce. ...

The National Police has requested more than $500,000 from the Interior Ministry to fund bonuses for police officers involved in confiscating illegal drugs, officials said on Tuesday. ...

Two Ministry of Mines officials were convicted on corruption charges yesterday in a Phnom Penh court after confessing to selling state land, but nonetheless walked free after a judge reduced their sentences. ...

Cambodia will this year experience heavier rainfall than in previous years during an extended rainy season that is expected to last well into December in the coastal and central lowland areas, according to an announcement made by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology last ...

A Chinese firm that plans to invest $2 billion into developing the Kingdom’s first special economic zone (SEZ) dedicated solely to agricultural processing and storage has signed on a new partner to help jumpstart the stalled project, a top agriculture official said yesterday. ...

The process of swearing in commune councillors across the country began yesterday, marking the start of their five-year terms in local administration, with opposition commune chiefs saying they were undeterred by Interior Minister Sar Kheng’s comments last week. ...

More than 430 of the 493 families who formerly resided in Phnom Penh’s White Building have vacated the premises, but around 15 families have yet to accept compensation packages for their apartments, according to a Land Management Ministry official. ...

An activist and villagers yesterday said that sand dredging boats had been spotted off the coast of Koh Kong, prompting fears that they were set to begin operations, despite a standing ban on sand exports from companies operating in coastal areas. ...

Three men were sent to court yesterday for allegedly hauling more than 18 tonnes of illegally logged first-grade timber in Kampong Thom province. ...

The Ministry of Labour has written to the Ministry of Information requesting that it take action against fraudulent recruitment agencies promoting services for migrant workers via radio advertisements. ...

Fifteen people from Siem Reap yesterday delivered a petition to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet claiming they were left out of a recent land-titling drive in their village, though local authorities said the group had only settled in the area once the titling began. ...

The number of traffic accidents and fatalities increased marginally during the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year, though the number of injuries dropped. ...

Interior Ministry officials have met to discuss whether the situation room broke the law when it monitored recent commune polls. Interior Minister Sar Kheng said the government is scrutinising the group of about 40 NGOs to ascertain if it attempted to undermine the polls. ...

Facing a backlash from employers and observers alike, Thailand has backtracked on a new, heavily criticised law that imposes stricter punishments on irregular workers and their employers, though thousands of Cambodians are still being deported. ...

Cambodia’s telecom regulator has urged mobile phone network operators to be more transparent on the fees they charge subscribers on opt-in services and to ensure that users are not charged for services they have not requested. ...