Government

Interior Minister Sar Kheng blamed the country’s continual problems with trafficking on porous borders and local government officials, who he said during a speech yesterday were frequently ignoring edicts from the national government and even orders he personally delivered himself. ...

Terminal facilities, a road connecting to National Road 5 and a bridge linking Stung Bot in Cambodia with Ban Nong Ian in Thailand will begin construction next year. The entirety of the bridge, including Cambodia’s side, will be constructed by Thailand, according to Va Sim Soriya, ...

A senior member of the Electoral Reform Alliance yesterday appealed for the National Election Committee to be given special jurisdictional powers over certain areas around the country during election campaigns so that it can ensure freedom of assembly. ...

With 10 days remaining until a government-imposed deadline for the U.N.’s human rights office to either sign a new agreement to operate in the country or close down, there is no sign that the two sides have come any closer to reaching a deal. ...

The government yesterday assured those in the garment industry that the Trade Union Law, which came into effect in May, is not meant to put pressure on any particular group, but rather to help employers and employees work together in harmony. Labor Ministry secretary of state ...

The National Election Committee (NEC) has discovered more than 2,000 names missing from the voter registry, which officials have attributed to a technical glitch. NEC spokesman Hang Puthea told Khmer Times that after having verified 90 percent of the voter list, 2,318 eligible voters from 13 ...

At its 40th party congress over the weekend, the ruling CPP predicted another victory in commune elections next year and national elections the year after on the back of recent populist policies including cheaper electricity and more land for the poor. ...

Claiming the public knows little about successful reforms being made by government ministries, an international nonprofit released a study on Friday lauding the top three governmental efforts of this year. ...

The chairman of the National Assembly’s corruption commission says a technical explanation from the Mines and Energy Minister over alleged irregularities in sand exported to Singapore is not clear enough. The controversy over the sand exports emerged after about 50 NGOs asked the Ministry of Mines ...

Cambodia should have its own satellite to make high-speed broadband available to all, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday. The prime minister also proposed that the Royal Group, a local conglomerate, partner with other  companies to make the Kingdom’s satellite dream a reality. Addressing about 600 ...

A major eight-day military exercise between Cambodian and Chinese troops will commence today at the Thlok Tasek Military Institute in Kampong Speu’s Phnom Sruoch district. Code named “Golden Dragon”, the manoeuvres will see soldiers from the two countries participating in myriad exercises including emergency road repairs ...

A more than hour-long meeting between Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, making his first-ever visit to Cambodia, and Prime Minister Hun Sen ended yesterday afternoon with an aide to the premier offering reporters the typical avowals of “cooperation”. But while the state visit – which included ...

The director of an anti-logging NGO has called on the Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate seven government rangers for alleged involvement in forestry crimes in the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary from February to August this year. ...

Cambodia and Thailand will sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to increase the quota of buses and trucks permitted to cross the border between the two countries, a transport official said yesterday. ...

Tourism Ministry officials outlined plans yesterday for two new vocational training facilities for the country’s growing tourism sector. Try Chhiv, deputy director general of the Ministry of Tourism, said the government will build the first school in Phnom Penh with a capacity of 1,000 students, ...

Minister for Mines and Energy Suy Sem will appear at the National Assembly on Thursday to answer questions about a more than $700 million discrepancy in data on sand exports to Singapore, according to a letter signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...

The government has appointed the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to draft a law to crack down on illegal activity surrounding the recently banned commercial surrogacy industry in Cambodia. Ministry spokeswoman Kheng Sam Vada confirmed the news, which was originally announced by government spokesperson and Minister of ...

Thailand will provide a train engine to Cambodia for the transport of goods and tourists between the two countries, according to a government official. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made the promise to provide the train engine in response to efforts to increase trade and tourists ...

Buyers of motorcycles under 125cc will have to watch a 10-minute video on drunk driving and road safety from next year. The move is an attempt to cut traffic deaths, particularly among young people. Nearly half of road deaths involve people aged 15 to 30. Agreement on ...

Private firms say costs, delays and bureaucratic red tape have increased since an obscure private company took over the government’s work-permit application and issuance system in September. The Ministry of Labour announced in August that it had outsourced work permit application processing to E-Solutions (Cambodia) Co ...

Education Ministry officials said yesterday that there will be greater participation by disabled children in schools, announcing a plan that would allow disabled youngsters to attend schools with the rest of the country’s children by early next year. Im Koch, a secretary of state for the ...

Construction will start next month on a project to build affordable public housing for the lower middle class, low-income earners and state workers. Urban Planning and Land Management Minister Chea Sophara said the price of a home in the project would be between $20,000 and $25,000. ...

The government created a national commission last week to prevent and crack down on crimes involving natural resources. National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha will head the commission and Hou Sakun, the deputy commissioner general of the National Police, will be second in command. Environment Ministry and ...

Acting opposition leader Kem Sokha has promised to use his new dialogue with Prime Minister Hun Sen to push for migrant workers to get a vote in the 2018 national elections. Celebrating Human Rights Day on Saturday at the CNRP headquarters, Mr. Sokha spoke to supporters ...