National government
Ministries and other national bodies
CAMBODIA: Better Factories programme renewed
The Better Factories Cambodia programme has been renewed after a new, three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was agreed. The new agreement, aimed at furthering the initiative’s mission to improve working conditions in Cambodian garment factories, was signed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Cambodian Ministry ...
Richard Woodard
http://www.just-style.com/news/better-factories-programme-renewed_id120127.aspx
Yearender: Cambodia's economy remains strong in 2013 despite political row, flood havoc: officials
Cambodia’s economy is expected to maintain the robust growth of over 7 percent this year even though the country is still trapped in political dispute and recovering from the aftermath of recent floods, senior officials and bankers said. But some analysts predicted that political trouble, coupled ...
Nguon Sovan and Wang Qibing
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-12/19/c_132979125.htm
Labor Unions agree to one time hike in wage
Around 40 Labor Unions in Cambodia have all agreed to pursue the third formula given by the Ministry of Labor, of a one time hike in minimum wage for footwear and garment factory employees in 2014. The Labor Unions agreed to pursue the hike in salary ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=MWNmYzg4Yjc2YjJ
Despite Ban, Operators Offer Bonuses
Two of the country’s largest mobile phone operators are again offering attractive deals on calls, despite the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia’s (TRC) recent order to mobile operators to follow the government’s minimum prices for calls and to scale back customer promotions. On Sunday, Smart, which is ...
Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/despite-ban-operators-offer-bonuses-49483/
Three New Districts in Phnom Penh Approved
The Ministry of Interior has approved the creation of three new districts in Phnom Penh following a proposal from City Hall to create five new districts before district and city council elections are held in May. Sak Setha, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior, ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/three-new-districts-in-phnom-penh-approved-49424/
Putting hospitals on lockdown
The government plans to extend the country’s still-limited capacity to treat ailing prisoners by building more secure rooms inside provincial hospitals. As part of the General Department of Prisons’ 2014-2018 strategic plan, the Ministry of Interior hopes to have rooms specifically designated for prisoners in each ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/putting-hospitals-lockdown
Garment workers’ patience wearing thin
Taking part in daily demonstrations outside the shuttered factory where she once worked is beginning to weigh on Bou Narith and her co-workers. Government officials this morning will sit down with representatives of employees and a representative from USA Fully Field (Cambodia) Garment factory, which, ...
Mom Kunthear and Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/garment-workers%E2%80%99-patience-wearing-thin
Government Proposes 100% Hike in Minimum Wage by 2018
The government proposed doubling the minimum wage for garment workers—from $80 to $160—within five years during a meeting with labor unions and garment manufacturers on Monday at the Ministry of Labor. “We have a plan to raise the minimum wage up to $160 for garment workers, ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-proposes-100-hike-in-minimum-wage-by-2018-49396/
CPP to Inform King, NEC of Opposition’s Assembly Boycott
National Assembly President Heng Samrin will in the coming days send the National Election Committee (NEC) an official letter informing it of the opposition party’s boycott of parliament, according to local media, possibly the first step in the ruling party’s plan to have the opposition’s ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cpp-to-inform-king-nec-of-oppositions-assembly-boycott-49348/
ILO hails better protection for Cambodian migrant workers
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic for is pleased to support the official launch of measures to better protect Cambodian migrant workers. On 16 December 2013, ahead of International Migrants Day on 18 December, the Cambodian Ministry ...
Fibre2Fashion News Staff
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=157264
Cambodian garment manufacturers, trade unionists talk over pay rise with no agreement
Cambodia’s garment manufacturers and trade unionists on Monday began a negotiation on pay rise for garment workers in 2014 but reached no any agreement because the union representatives demanded to double the current wage. The talk was made between the employers represented by Nang Sothy, co-chair ...
Xinhuanet News Staff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-12/16/c_132972280.htm
Factory Owners Slam Government Over Handling of Strikes
Members of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) said during a conference Sunday that they are “fed up” with the government for not controlling strikes by labor unions. “All of us have the same issue: illegal strikes,” Van Porphin, a member of GMAC’s executive committee, ...
Colin Meyn and Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/factory-owners-slam-government-over-handling-of-strikes-49352/
For 2013, trade value to reach $16 billion
The value of Cambodia’s overall trade volume for 2013 is expected to reach $16 billion, according to the former Minister of Economy and Finance, Keat Chhon. The figure comes to a 14.4 per cent rise from last year. ...
Chan Muy Hong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/2013-trade-value-reach-16-billion
Domestic workers seek cap on working hours
In a letter to three government ministries, a local domestic worker rights group last week demanded wage increases and limitations on work hours. Von Samphous, president of the fledgling Cambodian Domestic Worker Network (CDWN), sent the letter to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry ...
Mom Kunthear, P.5
http://www.phnompenhpost.com
Cambodia, China's Guangdong look to boost tourism cooperation
Representatives of 17 tourism- related companies from southeast Guangdong province of China on Friday met with their Cambodian counterparts in order to seek possibilities for tourism cooperation. The Chinese delegation was led by Zhao Yufang, Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province, while Cambodian side was headed by Pak ...
ECNS News Staff
http://www.ecns.cn/2013/12-14/92619.shtml
Justice Ministry to keep track of courts’ case lists
The Ministry of Justice yesterday held the first of what it said would be regular forums soliciting the input of civil society on judicial reforms, and promised a new measure that it maintained would streamline the courts’ workflow. Citing widespread frustration among citizens, Justice Minister Ang ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/justice-ministry-keep-track-courts%E2%80%99-case-lists
Krousar Thmey to Be Integrated Into the Education Ministry
Krousar Thmey, the country’s pre-eminent NGO working to educate disabled children, is in the process of being integrated into the Education Ministry, the company’s director and government officials confirmed Thursday. Speaking on the sidelines of the National Workshop on Inclusive Education, Herve Roqueplan, director of Krousar ...
Matt Blomberg
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/krousar-thmey-to-be-integrated-into-the-education-ministry-49285/
School resources for disabled scarce
Kimseang spent much of his childhood enduring harassment and verbal abuse, with teachers and other children dismissing him because of a visual and physical impairment. While the kingdom has seen overall access to education improve from a 69 per cent net enrollment rate in 1991 ...
Laignee Barron
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/school-resources-disabled-scarce
Debate on land reform takes place in absence of the CPP
Civil society groups held a workshop in Phnom Penh on Thursday in which government officials and lawmakers were invited to discuss post-election land grabs and land-based conflict, although the ruling CPP failed to turn up to the event. Though incidents of land-grabbing appeared to decrease ahead ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/debate-on-land-reform-takes-place-in-absence-of-the-cpp-49282/
Sacred artefacts go missing
Kandal provincial authorities and officials from multiple ministries are investigating the apparent theft of historical artefacts from a stupa at Oudong Mountain said to contain some remains of Buddha himself. Relevant authorities were tight-lipped yesterday about which objects were missing, but a local news outlet reported ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sacred-artefacts-go-missing
Interior Minister Says Electronic ID Cards to Become Standard
Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Wednesday said that the government had begun formalizing the process for obtaining electronic national identity cards in a bid to reduce graft carried out by local authorities. Speaking on the sidelines of the 10th Government Discussion Forum on Electronic Identity at ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/interior-minister-says-electronic-id-cards-to-become-standard-49161/
Disabled integration touted
Disabled Cambodians were promised a “society without barriers” by Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday in a speech on Cambodia’s Day of Persons with Disabilities in Phnom Penh. About 1,500 disabled Cambodians marked the day at a gathering of more than 2,000 people in the capital’s Koh ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/disabled-integration-touted
UN Monitors in Cambodia to Inspect Prisons for Use of Torture
Interior Minister Sar Kheng has ordered all prison, detention and rehabilitation center chiefs to accommodate and give full access to delegates from the U.N.’s Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT), whose five-day mission to assess the use of torture, cruelty and other inhumane treatment ...
Kuch Naren
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/un-monitors-in-cambodia-to-inspect-prisons-for-use-of-torture-48963/
Dubious Cancer Clinic Still Open for Business
The Phnom Penh municipal health department on Monday said that it would allow a health center claiming to cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes through “detox” treatments to remain open, despite previous claims that it had already been shut down. Sok Sokun, director of the ...
Sek Odom
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/dubious-cancer-clinic-still-open-for-business-48973/