The Phnom Penh Post

The bulk of Cambodia’s economic land concessions (ELCs) – at the centre of numerous land disputes and human rights concerns over the past two decades – generated just $5 million for state coffers last year, with critics attributing the meagre returns to a lack of ...

Cambodian conglomerate the Royal Group is in talks with two foreign state-owned petroleum companies to conduct feasibility studies for an oil pipeline that would run from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh, a government official has confirmed. ...

Tourism authorities in Siem Reap are anticipating that more than a million tourists will descend on the temple town for the Angkor Sangkran festival, the country’s biggest cultural attraction over the Khmer New Year holiday. ...

Following the National Assembly’s passage of the draft trade union law last week, the Senate is set to take up the law today, with the permanent committee scheduled to discuss it followed by a vote on Tuesday, said the Senate’s secretary-general Oum Sarith.   ...

The newly appointed minister of land management and urban planning, Chea Sophara, has announced a working group to handle petitions and complaints lodged by land dispute victims. ...

The judiciary is perceived as the most corrupt government institution in the Kingdom, according to a United Nations Development Programme global survey of corruption in the judiciary released on Friday.   ...

Agricultural products have been granted an exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) as part of a government effort to support local rice farmers and millers, according to a prakas issued Wednesday by the General Taxation Department. ...

Cambodia’s securities regulator signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) yesterday for technical assistance on corporate governance standards and practices in the Cambodian capital market. ...

Aceleda Bank was the only Cambodian bank to make The Banker’s Top 100 ASEAN Banks 2016 list, and saw the largest jump up the rankings among all entries, securing the 88th position on the financial publication’s annual list, up from 97th last year. ...

The Free Trade Union has asked Labour Minister Ith Samheng to intervene in the case of two union leaders it alleges were illegally fired by Horizon Outdoor (Cambodia), a Kampong Chhnang province bag and accessories factory. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen made an appeal to public safety yesterday, announcing $6 million in bonuses for soldiers and law enforcement in anticipation of the Khmer New Year. ...

The parents of Cambodia’s ambassador to South Korea, Suth Dina, yesterday made a public appeal to Prime Minister Hun Sen, as their son, who is accused of corruption, prepared to spend his third night in custody ahead of a likely court appearance this morning.   ...

Following the passage of the controversial trade union law on Monday, international rights groups say they will continue to oppose the legislation, which will now move to the Senate for approval. ...

Cambodian officials have not informed Russian authorities about the arrest of a wanted embezzler in Sihanoukville last month, despite apprehending him at their request, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. ...

A controversial proposed animal swap that would have seen elephants Kiri and Seila sent from the notorious Teuk Chhou Zoo in Kampot to a zoo in Japan in exchange for other exotic species has been officially called off, new documents show.   ...

After numerous delays, industrial park operator Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone announced yesterday that it had finalised a timeline for the launch of its upcoming initial public offering, and would kick off a five-day bookbuilding session starting on April 18 and hold a public roadshow ...

Oil and gas exploration companies operating in Cambodia must follow the schedule of their concession contracts or face fines and risk having their contracts revoked, a state official warned yesterday. ...

The government has broadly adopted a policy to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teaching in a bid to turn around the Kingdom’s dismal pass rates for the subjects in the 12th grade national examinations, according to a government official.   ...

Malaysian national cargo carrier Raya Airways has added Phnom Penh to its service roster in response to growing demand for air freight shipments of consumer products such as textiles and garments, the company said yesterday. ...

A relative of Cambodia’s ambassador to South Korea, who was detained on Monday amid a corruption probe, yesterday claimed the envoy was innocent, as the Anti-Corruption Unit reportedly prepared to send the case to court.   ...

Vietnamese dairy giant Vinamilk has appointed Angkor Dairy Products Co Ltd as the official distributor of Vinamilk products in Cambodia following the closure of its local representative office last month. ...

A 30-month study by Vietnamese researchers on the impact of 11 proposed hydroelectric dams in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) has found that the economic damage to Cambodia alone will be worth some $450 million per year. ...

The new minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Chea Sophara, should strive to resolve the country’s land disputes and expand land registration services, his outgoing predecessor Im Chhun Lim said during a handover ceremony yesterday. ...

Nagacorp Ltd, the Cayman Islands-registered operator of Cambodia’s NagaWorld casino and hotel complex, recorded $153.8 million in gross gaming revenue during the first quarter of 2016, a 35 per cent increase over the same period last year. ...