The Phnom Penh Post
Potholes on a path to progress
Cambodia marginally improved its global competitive ranking this year, moving up five spots to place 90th out of 144 nations surveyed, with weak public institutions and lack of innovation continuing to affect its economic progress, according to a newly released World Economic Forum report.The Global ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/potholes-path-progress
Whistleblower law in the works, ACU says
The Anti-Corruption Unit has announced the drafting of new laws on whistleblowing and witness protection to safeguard those calling out crime and extortion at the highest levels.The ACU in November 2014 unveiled plans for specific whistleblower legislation, but according to ACU president Om Yentieng, the ...
Chhay Channyda and Zoe Holman
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/whistleblower-law-works-acu-says
Life on the farm at CC4
A remote jail opened more than five years ago to lessen chronic overcrowding in the prison system is also operating as a farming business, where free labour is seemingly used to yield big profits for senior staff.When Correctional Centre 4 (CC4) opened its gates in ...
May Titthara and Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/life-farm-cc4
Almost 2,000 deported so far this year: report
Nearly 2,000 people have been deported from Cambodia – the vast majority of them Vietnamese – in the first nine months of 2015, according to new government figures.From January through September, 1,919 people were expelled from the Kingdom, and 90 per cent of those thrown ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/almost-2000-deported-so-far-year-report
Climate change targets aim high
The Ministry of Environment submitted an ambitious national climate change plan to the United Nations yesterday ahead of scheduled climate talks in Paris (COP 21), though observers yesterday questioned the plan’s feasibility given a lack of both funding and political will.According to Sao Sopheap, spokesperson ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/climate-change-targets-aim-high
PM calls for lower holiday cab prices
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday appealed to taxi drivers around the Kingdom not to raise prices during the national Pchum Ben festival, during which people often visit family in the provinces to pay respects to deceased relatives. ...
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-calls-lower-holiday-cab-prices
Casinos rake in $2 billion
Cambodia’s casino industry generates close to $2 billion in revenue a year and accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the Kingdom’s tourism revenue, a central bank official said yesterday.Chea Serey, director-general of the National Bank of Cambodia, told a workshop on statistics in international ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/casinos-rake-2-billion
Positive early results for ‘back to school’ push
Some 14,000 school drop-outs have returned to class under a $19 million scheme launched last year by a coalition of education groups, the organisations said yesterday.Out-of-school kids include children from poor and remote communities, ethnic minorities, kids over-age for their grade level, street children and ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/positive-early-results-back-school-push
Stand-off with navy in Kampot
Several families in Kampot province yesterday had another standoff with military personnel who came to clear out a disputed piece of land, though violence did not ensue, observers said. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/stand-navy-kampot
Ministry’s ‘gentle nature’ leaves unclear endings in the Capital
With the construction industry growing at a dizzying pace as the sound of buzz saws and jack hammers relentlessly permeate the capital while announcements of massive developments become a weekly affair, many unanswered questions remain to what can be done regarding halted projects—most notably the ...
Siv Meng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/ministrys-gentle-nature-leaves-unclear-endings-capital
Investors show confidence in The Peak
After a suit and tie gala event at Sofitel this month that aimed to drum up local support for the newly launched luxury residence The Peak – the most expensive condominium project to date at a tune of $580 million, Rithy Sear, WorldBridge Chairman, announced ...
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/investors-show-confidence-peak
Road deaths up almost 15%
A national road safety action plan established in 2011 is severely off target and road deaths could surpass 3,200 by 2020 unless drastic action is taken, the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) warned yesterday.In total, 2,226 people were killed in 4,645 recorded traffic accidents in ...
Pech Sotheary and Charles Parkinson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/road-deaths-almost-15
Top cop to officers: ‘behave’
Cambodian police officers need to step up their game, the Kingdom’s top cop told his department hierarchy this week.Speaking at a ceremony to promote two senior officers on Monday, National Police chief Neth Savoeun said staff who want to be promoted or rewarded needed to ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/top-cop-officers-behave
CNRP sets sights on changes in assembly
The Cambodia National Rescue Party proposed a bold set of regulations for the National Assembly in an interparty meeting yesterday, calling for, among other things, a larger share of the body’s budget, and minority party control over the assembly’s purse strings, an opposition working group ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-sets-sights-changes-assembly
Situation ripe for strikes: study
Short-sightedness, weak adherence to the law and poor working conditions in Cambodia’s garment sector are creating a fertile field for strikes to prevail over negotiations, a recent study released by the Arbitration Council Foundation, an independent labour mediator, has found.According to the study, incidents of ...
Charles Rollet
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/situation-ripe-strikes-study
Land dispute pits PM’s brother against Brigade 70 general
The Kampong Speu Provincial Court has joined the fray in a land battle between Hun Sen’s elder brother and a general attached to RCAF’s infamous Brigade 70, ordering a halt to its clearing.A court officer, joined by 20 local authority officers and several members of ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/land-dispute-pits-pms-brother-against-brigade-70-general
Quality control gives Kampot pepper more punch
Producers of Kampot pepper have positioned the spice as a high-end product and are working to add value to the internationally recognised brand by ensuring that only the highest quality peppercorns make it to market.Ngoun Lay, president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA), said ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/quality-control-gives-kampot-pepper-more-punch
Revamp of torture prevention panel called cosmetic
The government has announced plans to upgrade a sub-decree on torture prevention to the status of royal decree in order to comply with its international obligations, but observers said yesterday that the proposed changes will do little to bolster the body’s impartiality.The decision was confirmed ...
Taing Vida and Zoe Holman
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/revamp-torture-prevention-panel-called-cosmetic
Student detained over Facebook ‘bomb threat’
A university student in Siem Reap province was detained and sent to court yesterday after allegedly posting a death threat against Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng on the social networking site Facebook.Tao Savoeun, a 26-year-old graduate of the University of South-East Asia, located in Siem ...
Thik Kaliyann
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/student-detained-over-facebook-bomb-threat
Trial of Sok Hour to begin on Friday
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday will hear the case against opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour, who was arrested and saw his parliamentary immunity bypassed last month over a Facebook post. ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/trial-sok-hour-begin-friday
Central bank urges Riel spending
Cambodia’s central bank yesterday again raised the issue of the country’s highly dollarised economy, suggesting that government policies and action plans will be enforced over the long term to promote the use of the riel, giving the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) more monetary control.Speaking ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/central-bank-urges-riel-spending
Fire equipment still lacking
Two years since the government passed a law on fire safety – and hot on the heels of a recent spate of fires at local garment factories, neighbourhoods and nightclubs – a recent informal survey has found that even high-end hotels still widely lack required ...
Jamie Elliott
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/fire-equipment-still-lacking
Aviation body breathes easier as audit delayed
The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has agreed to postpone an audit of Cambodia’s aviation authority until June 2016 to give the agency more time to prepare.Sinn Chanserey Vutha, spokesman of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) said yesterday that his organisation was ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/aviation-body-breathes-easier-audit-delayed
Doctor tried over fraud allegations
A medical doctor accused of fraud by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court admitted at trial yesterday to swindling $10,000 and a car from his business partners as they were setting up a pharmacy earlier this year. ...
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/doctor-tried-over-fraud-allegations