Government

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. ...

After 427 days behind bars, the Adhoc 5 have been enjoying their first weekend of liberty after being released from prison on bail on Thursday night. ...

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. ...

The tax authority yesterday refuted local media claims that it had endorsed a private sector call to end Phnom Penh City Hall’s taxation of billboards and commercial signage throughout the capital, which advocates have said imposes an onerous levy on local businesses. ...

Fearing that heavy rains will cause the Ta Mok reservoir in Oddar Meanchey province’s Anlong Veng district to overflow, or its walls to rupture, Water Resources and Meteorology Department officials are preparing to drain the reservoir with canals. ...

Despite repeated vows by both of Cambodia’s major political parties to increase female representation, the number of female candidates elected in the Kingdom’s recently concluded commune elections actually decreased since they were last held in 2012.   ...

A Japanese NGO yesterday signed a deal worth nearly $300,000 to assist four Kandal province primary schools in providing access to education for children with disabilities. ...

The Appeal Court yesterday upheld prison sentences for former opposition leader Sam Rainsy and two of his assistants, along with former Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) Senator Hong Sok Hour, on charges stemming from the latter’s comments on the contentious Vietnam border issue. ...

The Telecom Regulator of Cambodia yesterday issued a directive to mobile operators to ensure they are transparent with automatic fees charged to customers after a spike in complaints.   ...

CPP-appointed village chiefs will remain in their positions despite changes to commune control following recent polls, the Interior Minister has said. Sar Kheng made the comments as he presided over the ceremony to appoint new Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng at City Hall on Wednesday. ...

The first readings of the capital’s PM2.5 concentration, a major indicator of air quality, show that levels of the harmful particulates are “still low”, said Thiv Sophearith, chief of the Ministry of Environment’s Air Quality, Noise and Vibration Office, though an environmental specialist yesterday challenged ...

Authorities in Siem Reap province have stopped negotiating with hundreds of families who recently built homes and shops illegally inside the Angkor Archaeological Park, and Defense Minister Tea Banh said they would start razing the structures without their consent. ...

Two police officials – one the deputy police chief of Kandal’s Takhmao town and the son of Provincial Police Chief Eav Chamroeun – are the subject of a complaint filed with the Ministry of Interior by three people who allege they might have colluded to ...

Farmer in Prey Veng’s Svay Antor and Pea Reang and Kanh Chriech districts began digging canals this week to save their rice fields from heavy rains. ...

The government wants to train 50,000 tourism professionals every year between now and 2025 under a new development strategy for human resources within the tourism sector.​ ...