The Phnom Penh Post
National Assembly passes $6 billion 2018 budget
The National Assembly, with only ruling party lawmakers in attendance, voted on Friday to pass the national budget for 2018 and to add two additional positions to 10 parliamentary committees, a day after a Supreme Court ruling dissolved the only other party to hold seats in the ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/national-assembly-passes-6-billion-2018-budget
AEC presents migrant hurdles
With cross-border flows of migrant workers rapidly increasing since the founding of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, industry insiders claim that this change has had both positive and negative effects on the Kingdom by reducing the levels of unemployment while highlighting the need ...
Robin Spiess
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/aec-presents-migrant-hurdles
China gives demining supplies after pledge of support
The Chinese Embassy donated equipment to the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA) yesterday, marking the beginning of a new pledge to become a top donor to the sector, following the withdrawal of US funds. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/china-gives-demining-supplies-after-pledge-support
Defectors to CPP trickling in
The CPP claims to have received 390 defections as of Monday. They include one lawmaker, 33 provincial and district councillors, and 356 commune officials, of whom 33 are commune chiefs. The chiefs account for around 7 percent of the 489 CNRP chiefs elected in June, ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/defectors-cpp-trickling
Government ‘monitoring’ civil society organisations named in CNRP hearing
The Ministry of Interior yesterday confirmed that certain civil society organisations and their members are being “monitored” following accusations, levelled during the Supreme Court hearing on the dissolution of the opposition party on Thursday, that they participated in a purported “revolution”. ...
Andrew Nachemson and Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/government-monitoring-civil-society-organisations-named-cnrp-hearing
Three CNRP-nominated elections officials resign from NEC after party dissolution
Three National Election Committee (NEC) members, all Cambodia National Rescue Party nominees, have quit the electoral body, intensifying the fallout from the Supreme Court’s dissolution of the opposition party on Thursday. ...
Soth Koemsoeun and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/three-cnrp-nominated-elections-officials-resign-nec-after-party-dissolution
EBA scheme in jeopardy after CNRP ruling
In the wake of the dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party last week by the Supreme Court, which effectively removes any viable opposition party from challenging next year’s national elections, the European Union issued a statement seemingly warning that the Kingdom’s preferential access through the Everything ...
Kali Kotoski and Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/access-eba-scheme-jeopardy-after-cnrp-ruling
NBC gives banks, MFIs greenlight to issue bonds
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) announced on Friday that local banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) can now issue corporate bonds or list equity securities on the nascent Cambodian stock market, a move industry insiders claim will help financial institutions raise capital and be less ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/nbc-gives-banks-mfis-greenlight-issue-bonds
Timber trader arrested, again
A prominent Vietnamese timber trader was arrested and put in pre-trial detention for the second time this year after some two tonnes of rosewood allegedly connected to her were discovered in Oddar Meanchey province, authorities said yesterday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/timber-trader-arrested-again
Land rights organisation in Lango limbo
More than a month after the announcement of its ostensibly 30-day suspension, land rights organisation Equitable Cambodia remains stuck in limbo, with the Ministry of Interior saying the NGO must wait for the ministry’s approval to reopen. ...
Leonie Kijewski and Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/land-rights-organisation-lango-limbo
US extends mine clearance grant
The United States has extended for two months a grant to clear unexploded ordnances from the country through the Cambodian Mines Action Centre. ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5090902/us-extends-mine-clearance-grant/
‘Death of democracy’: CNRP dissolved by Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party, removing the only existing electoral threat to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s grip on power in the Kingdom and undoing in one stroke the opposition’s gains over the last five years. ...
Ben Sokhean, Mech Dara and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/death-democracy-cnrp-dissolved-supreme-court-ruling
Breaking: Supreme Court rules to dissolve CNRP
The Supreme Court this evening ruled to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party, ending the only existing electoral threat to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s grip on power in the Kingdom. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/breaking-supreme-court-rules-dissolve-cnrp
Military Police chief grilled over Mondulkiri logging
Kampong Chhnang Provincial Military Police Commander Sak Sarang was questioned yesterday at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in relation to allegedly taking bribes from illegal loggers in Mondulkiri, where he was previously stationed. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/military-police-chief-grilled-over-mondulkiri-logging
Surveillance up ahead of CNRP verdict
Checkpoints went up on national roads, barricades were dumped in front of the Supreme Court and police paid unannounced visits to civil society organisations and opposition officials as darkness fell yesterday ahead of today’s Supreme Court hearing on the dissolution of the opposition CNRP. ...
Niem Chheng, Daphne Chen and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/surveillance-ahead-cnrp-verdict
Rice sector optimistic as harvest wraps on Rumduol
Rice farmers and millers are confident that the price for premium fragrant paddy will continue to increase over the next two weeks as the annual harvest season for Phka Rumduol wraps up. However, farmers complain that they are still facing long-standing problems that could see ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-sector-optimistic-harvest-wraps-rumduol
Ex-RFA reporters detained in capital
Two former Radio Free Asia reporters arrested on Tuesday night remained in detention at Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters yesterday evening, with authorities confirming that the pair were under investigation for allegedly sending news reports to the radio broadcaster. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ex-rfa-reporters-detained-capital
Analysis: If the CNRP is dissolved, CPP’s efforts to rid itself of a challenger will be realised
In 2012, a little over a month after the Human Rights Party and Sam Rainsy Party won a combined 40 commune chief positions in local elections, the two groups met in Manila, finally agreeing on what had been bandied about for years: a united opposition ...
Ananth Baliga and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/analysis-if-cnrp-dissolved-cpps-efforts-rid-itself-challenger-will-be-realised
Government reduces tax load on MFIs receiving money from abroad
The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) recently decided to shrink the tax burden for local microfinance institutions (MFIs) by lowering withholding tax on interest from loans acquired from abroad from 14 to 10 percent, a move that the government claims will keep the massive ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/government-reduces-tax-load-mfis-receiving-money-abroad
China pledges UXO funding days after US spat
Prime Minister Hun Sen announced yesterday that China will begin funding demining efforts, just days after the US said it would pull financial support for a removal project with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre in the eastern part of the country. ...
Andrew Nachemson and Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/china-pledges-uxo-funding-days-after-us-spat
Ministry bans buying, selling of antibiotics without prescription
A Ministry of Health official yesterday said the ministry has banned the buying and selling of antibiotics without a prescription in an effort to curb the overuse that has led to an alarming level of antibiotic resistance in the Kingdom. ...
Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-bans-buying-selling-antibiotics-without-prescription
Scandals and problems are mounting in land sale deals
Scandals are beginning to brew now that the real estate market is expanding with more affordable housing and cheaper land prices. The situation has been exacerbated by the lack of laws governing the sector and managing stakeholder disputes. ...
Siv Meng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-property/scandals-and-problems-are-mounting-land-sale-deals
Emerald expects licence after sanctuary rezoning
Emerald Resources, the Australian-listed mining firm behind Cambodia’s Okvau gold project in Mondulkiri province, is one step closer to receiving an industrial mining licence after it signed an environmental contract with the Ministry of Environment (MoE), the firm announced yesterday. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/emerald-expects-licence-after-sanctuary-rezoning
Officials find logs hidden on riverbed
Some 124 logs of luxury timber were discovered on a riverbed on Sunday within Mondulkiri’s Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary some 500 metres from a military base, officials said yesterday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-find-logs-hidden-riverbed