Government

The Cambodian Rice Federation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday to receive $450,000 in financial support from the government to increase Cambodia’s rice exports, according to a federation official. ...

His Majesty, Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia has no plan to summon any political leaders for ongoing dispute on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.  ...

Alcohol consumption in Cambodia is high enough that authorities are now drafting legislation for a drinking age. But as the country and its economy develop, many here say it has become an essential part of their social—and professional—lives. ...

Prince Norodom Ranariddh has announced the formation of a youth group for the royalist party Funcinpec, in hopes of finding more support among a new demographic. ...

Opposition lawmaker Um Sam An has been suspended from the next 15 sessions of parliament and will have his salary cut as punishment for critical comments he posted to Facebook earlier this month, according to a statement issued Friday by the National Assembly’s Sec­retariat General. ...

Cambodia’s ruling party suffered a dramatic drop in support during the country’s last election two years ago, and critics say lawmakers are now pushing through a spate of laws to ensure that does not happen again. In the past year, parliament has passed new regulations ...

In the wake of his 15-session suspension from parliament for “insulting” National Assembly President Heng Samrin, opposition lawmaker Um Sam An has defended criticism he posted on social media while expressing regret over his choice of words. ...

King Norodom Sihamoni may soon intervene in the ongoing dispute over border issues between the government and opposition by calling their leaders to a meeting, according to former prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh. ...

An NGO director claimed Sunday that authorities in Svay Rieng province blocked a group he was leading from visiting homes they had rebuilt near the Vietnamese border in Romeas Hek district. ...

Borith has been on the payroll of Cambodia’s parliament for 15 years but rarely shows up for work. He is busy with his other job at a non-governmental organization, and no one notices his absence. ...

The government has set aside some $33 million to finish rebuilding Cambodia’s northern rail line by late next year, according to the Transportation Ministry, reanimating a long-delayed and over-budget project that had been one of the Asian Development Bank’s priorities in the country. ...

Villagers along the border of Vietnam and Cambodia have maintained close relations for generations and, for them, the ‘border line’ is just like a fence between two nearby houses. ...

The European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Cambodia, which has 203 companies as members, signed an agreement with Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on Friday, expressing its commitment to help rid the country of corruption. ...

UN officials have delivered 18 sections of map to Cambodia, which is in the midst of a border row with Vietnam. ...

Cambodian officials from the ruling party and opposition say they will continue to work together in political dialogue, despite a court ruling this week that delivered major jail sentences to 11 pro-opposition activists. ...

Cambodia’s Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction had granted licenses to 915 construction projects with a total investment of 808 million U.S. dollars in the first six months of 2015, an official said Thursday.       ...

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Thursday that he will be more able to fight the recent imprisonment of CNRP activists from abroad, while a prominent member of the opposition said the jailings could be a sign of worse things to come before the next elections. ...

The Mines and Energy Ministry on Thursday announced the winners of its public auction to award four sand dredging licenses along a stretch of the Mekong River where there is a buildup of silt. ...

A deal signed Thursday with the China Law Society will give Justice Ministry officials access to scholarships at Chinese universities and see Beijing fund the construction of a legal research center in Cambodia, ministry spokesman Chin Malin said. ...

Following a meeting at the Labor Ministry’s conflict resolution department Thursday, the Capitol Tours bus company and five of its drivers—who claim they were fired for attempting to organize a union—remained deadlocked over their reinstatement. ...

The governor of the National Bank of Cambodia hit out at unlicensed microfinance institutions or lenders, who he said were the reason why interest rates in the sector were high, despite interest rates falling among registered lenders. ...

Thai farmers protected by armed Thai soldiers crossed the border in Banteay Meanchey province and spent Thursday plowing fields for rice cultivation, a military commander and district official said. ...

Each year, more than a quarter of possible teaching hours are lost at the primary school level – the equivalent of 50.5 school days – due to teacher absences, missing class hours and the high number of school holidays, a report released yesterday found. ...

Some 5,000 security personnel were called to the headquarters of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit in Kandal province on Thursday, where the premier said they must protect Cambodia’s territorial integrity, according to a number of officials in attendance. ...