Khmer translated by ODC

The Environment and Education Ministries will expand their eco-school program to all primary and secondary schools across the country over the course of 2017, provided they have the necessary human and financial resources to do so. ...

The government may reopen the border gate in front of Preah Vihear temple in a bid to strengthen ties with Thailand as diplomatic relations improve, but local tourism operators are concerned the move would hurt their business. ...

Malaysia-based company SV International was granted permission by the Council of Ministers earlier this month to begin the initial stage of grand plans to turn part of Sihanoukville into a “casino city,” an official confirmed.   ...

The Phnom Penh Special Ec­o­nomic Zone (PPSEZ) was given clearance on Wednesday to begin final preparations for listing on the country’s stock exchange, according to a statement released by the Securities and Exchange Com­­mission of Cambodia (SECC).    ...

Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana met on Friday with the National Assembly’s opposition-led human rights commission to discuss issues related to judicial independence and court procedure, including government interference in the court system and abuse of the pretrial detention system.   ...

Kampong Speu palm sugar production is predicted to slightly decrease this year due to a late start, climate change, water shortages and working capital for farmers, but prices are expected to rise due to the sugar’s growing popularity since its geographical indication certification. ...

The Anti-Corruption Unit on Thursday dismissed a complaint filed by a Cambodian NGO against the local arm of the international humanitarian group ActionAid for allegedly embezzling $3 million, the unit’s chairman said.   ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen discussed the outstanding debt Cambodia owed to Russia on Wednesday, with the prime minister urging the debt be turned into investment and development in the country. ...

Imports of construction materials grew dramatically last year compared with the year before due to strong demand, while the prices of imported goods declined. ...

The government was unaware of about half of the residential child care centers operating in four provinces and Phnom Penh prior to a study conducted last year, according to a report released on Thursday. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen will attempt to renegotiate the $1.5 billion of Soviet-era debt Cambodia accrued during the 1980s when he visits Russia in May, according to a post on the premier’s Facebook page.   ...

The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) has called on schools to adopt a flexible school uniform policy to help transgender students and for the government to introduce(CCHR) anti-discrimination laws, in partnership with a USAID program worth almost $300,000.   ...

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has doubled the minimum capital requirements for commercial banks and significantly raised the requirements for microfinance institutions in a move experts say will protect and consolidate the country’s banking sector.   ...

The business community in Cambodia has welcomed the recent Cabinet reshuffle, which many say will improve the way the government works and will also improve the economy. ...

Up to 40 percent of the $100 million River Premium Development Company, a joint venture between local partners and Malaysian investors, has been completed and sold, said Houn Heng Eriya, the sales manager of the project in the city center of Ta Khmao. ...

The third round of negotiations between Win Shingtex (Cambodia) company and workers’ representatives under Ministry of Labor official supervision failed again yesterday, with workers planning to file a complaint to the Arbitration Council for help. ...

An obscure Malaysian company has obtained approval from Cambodia’s Council of Ministers to develop hotels and casinos in Sihanoukville, with an online promotional video claiming the firm will transform the coastal city into the “Macau of Southeast Asia.”     ...

A new survey released by Cambodia’s Social Affairs Ministry on Thursday showed that the number of residential care institutions in the country’s five key provinces increased to 267 last year, up 92 percent from only 139 in the year before. ...

Cambodia is considering allowing visitors from Thailand directly access Preah Vihear temple, Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said on Thursday. ...

Former residents of Phnom Penh’s Borei Keila community on Wednesday handed petitions to the U.N.’s human rights envoy to Cambodia, requesting that she intervene in their feud with authorities after they were snubbed by City Hall earlier in the day.   ...

Despite a decline in the amount of exports, income from the fisheries sector rose almost 30 percent last year compared with 2014. ...

Siem Reap, the home of UNESCO-listed ancient temples, was placed fifth among the world’s top 25 travel destinations in 2015, dropping from second place in the previous year’s ranking by TripAdvisor, a popular online site for travelers and one trusted by tourists choosing destinations to ...

Villagers involved in a land dispute in Preah Vihear province say police attempted to arrest one of their representatives on Wednesday after about 200 of them returned to reclaim their land, while the district governor said he was only seeking to speak with the villagers. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng announced yesterday that his ministry plans to construct a prison capable of holding 7,000 inmates on an 800 hectare plot of land in Pursat province. ...