Ministries and other national bodies

An Economy and Finance Ministry spokesman denied any political motive for investigating NGOs and media outlets over tax payments on Tuesday, saying private enterprises were also under scrutiny. ...

About 4,500 observers will be deployed for this year’s National Exam to prevent cheating and to continue reforms to the Education Ministry, the Anti-Corruption Unit said yesterday. ...

Japanese officials will begin studying possible routes for a skytrain connecting Central Market to Phnom Penh International Airport, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on Monday after securing a loan agreement with Japan last week. ...

Hundreds of villagers from various provinces have occupied an economic land concession in Kampot province’s Chhuk district. The land was granted to Chan Sothea, vice president of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, and her company First Bio-Tech Agriculture by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ...

The government announced yesterday that it would “intervene” to support the price that farmers receive for their paddy rice, though without instituting a price floor or direct subsidies that would jeopardise a free market. ...

Lao troops occupying territory south of the Sekong River withdrew on Saturday after Prime Minister Hun Sen gave them a six-day deadline to leave and dispatched two military brigades and members of his personal Bodyguard Unit to the border. ...

Popular media outlets Radio Free Asia and Voice of America have become the latest to draw the attention of the government for allegedly not paying taxes, one week after a letter to the Cambodia Daily demanding more than $6 million in back taxes was leaked. ...

A local television presenter is facing heavy criticism for an inflammatory on-air suggestion that rape victims should not resist their attackers, and should instead accept sexual assault to avoid being killed – a reference to a brutal rape and murder of an 18-year-old woman in ...

Following multiple protests by local villagers, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation has announced a halt to a railway project meant to lead to Phnom Penh International Airport.   ...

Spokesmen for the Cambodian and Hong Kong governments are urging agencies not to charge excessive fees to Cambodian domestic helpers wanting to work in Hong Kong and offered reassurance that their rights would be protected. ...

The government and KrisEnergy, a Singapore-listed oil and gas firm, are set to sign a petroleum agreement this month to pave the way for the company to start the groundwork for the extraction of oil from Bloc A, which is expected to start in 2019, ...

The second Greater Mekong Subregion Agriculture Ministers Meeting will be held in Siem Reap province early next month, with agro-food products, exploring new markets for agricultural products and solving issues in the sector expected to be high on the agenda. ...

The government has granted a private company an export licence to transport $15 million worth of illegal timber bought at an auction last year to Vietnam, documents show. ...

The Ministry of Interior has issued new regulations to stamp out corruption at one-window services across the country, where residents go to have public documents certified. The order was signed on Tuesday by Interior Minister Sar Kheng, and is aimed at  ensuring quality, transparency and accountability ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng said on Wednesday that 100 to 200 Cambodians illegally cross the border with Thailand every day, well under an estimate from a U.N. agency that puts the figure at 3,000 to 4,000. ...

During Asean’s 50-year anniversary, the Cambodian government encouraged members of the regional bloc to exercise patience in drafting statements against North Korean missile use in order to minimize regional tensions, Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn said at a briefing following his return from Manila. ...

Nine photographs of rare Cambodian animals are being displayed at the Ministry of Environment, urging the public to participate in preserving critically endangered species. ...

The Cambodian government has selected six agencies to facilitate sending domestic workers to Hong Kong – with one saying they will begin sending maids by the end of the year – though rights groups yesterday warned of potential exploitation and abuses. ...

Senior Ministry of Health officials and health experts have warned an increase in non-communicable diseases is posing a threat to public health and the nation’s development. ...

The Ministry of Labour yesterday released data to show how many illegal migrant workers residing in Thailand have taken the first step to register with authorities there in order to gain all their proper paperwork. ...

There will soon be direct flights to Cambodia from X’ian city in China’s Shaanxi province to meet the growing demand of Chinese tourists, said Tourism Minister Thong Khon yesterday. ...

Authorities from four provinces, along with the Ministry of Justice, set more than 100 kilograms of drugs ablaze at the Preah Vihear provincial hall on Monday. ...

Only 200 of some 5,000 domestic NGOs have submitted required banking details to the Interior Ministry, its spokesman said on Monday, as the government steps up enforcement of tax requirements on organizations that may have racked up huge unpaid bills. ...

Cambodia’s banking sector enjoyed another strong performance last year as the Kingdom’s economy continued to expand, with banking credit moderating, deposits increasing and financial institutions remaining healthy as they further integrate into the global economy, the central bank said in its annual report yesterday. ...