Loans and deposits at Cambodia’s 32 micro-finance institutions and four NGOs, as well as small loans from acleda Bank, rose sharply last year compared with a year earlier. Industry players say this is a result of the Kingdom’s rapid economic improvement and political stability. Official data from <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/loans-and-deposits-climb/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

IMPORTS of motor scooters reached 264,085 units, with a total value of $139 million in the first 11 months of last year &ndash; a 55 per cent jump from 170,380 units worth $86.5 million in the corresponding period of 2011, according to data from the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/moto-imports-jump-55-per-cent/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Villagers in Koh Kong province involved in a long-running land dispute with two sugar cane plantations linked to CPP Senator Ly Yong Phat handed out petitions to passing motorists along National Road 48 demanding their land back. It was a change of pace for the villagers, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/protesters-forgo-roadblock-distribute-petitions/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Members of the Prey Long Forest Network yesterday said they are planning to hold a citizens’ patrol to look for evidence of illegal logging in Kompong Thom province this weekend. The patrol would be the first such patrol in the country since the april 26 murder <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/first-forest-patrol-since-activists-death-set/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AcledA BAnk will breAk ground on A 20-story tower directly behind its current heAdquArters on Monivong BoulevArd in September to become the third bAnk in the country to push AheAd with A high-rise property in the cApitAl, officiAls At the bAnk sAid yesterdAy. John Brinsden, AcledA’s <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/AcledA-hq-expAnsion-to-stArt-in-three-months/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The number of cases of foot-and-mouth disease dropped significantly in first six months of 2012 compared with the three previous years, according to new report by the UN’s Food and agriculture Organization (FaO). However, the report’s authors say the disease is still a problem for Cambodian farmers, especially owners of small farms, and can severely <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/outbreaks-of-foot-and-mouth-disease-decrease-but-are-still-painful-for-cambodian-farmers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

For the past decade, Cambodia’s economy has steadily grown with GDP growth surpassing 5% on a compounded annual basis for the past twelve years. Nearly 58% of the populace is engaged in agriculture, while the service sector employs 26% and industry accounts for the remaining <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/looking-back-at-riel-history/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Another Alleged “secessionist” involved in A lAnd dispute wAs Arrested yesterdAy in PursAt province’s VeAl Veng district, where villAgers sAid Authorities continued A prolonged forced eviction thAt hAs led to the destruction of some 500 homes. Three other men Accused of Attempting to creAte An Autonomous <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/second-seccesionist-Arrested-in-pursAt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Forestry AdministrAtion officers sAid yesterdAy they were still struggling to remove A lArge cAche of illegAlly hArvested wood they seized Along the Stung Chinit River in KAmpong Thom province A week Ago. Heng KAmich, heAd of the Forestry AdministrAtion in SAntuk district, sAid the officers seized <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/long-hAul-for-illegAl-wood-seized-on-river/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s Muslim community hit back on Friday at claims made in the media this week by Thailand’s army chief Prayuth Chanocha that members of the Cham minority group were joining the insurgency that has raged in Thailand’s southern provinces since 2004. Speaking at a press conference <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/thai-insurgency-claims-outrage-cham-muslims/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Members of the AssociAtion of DemocrAts, the group led by jAiled Activist And Beehive RAdio owner MAm SonAndo, rAllied in front of the RoyAl PAlAce yesterdAy to deliver petitions AppeAling for his releAse. Huon PhAnnAry, the deputy secretAry-generAl of the AssociAtion, sAid yesterdAy thAt neArly 100 <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/bAckers-Ask-king-to-set-sonAndo-free/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Koh Kong Provincial Court yesterday convicted a private security guard of accidentally killing the military police officer who allegedly shot dead the country’s most prominent environmental activist, Chut Wutty, and sentenced him to two years in prison. The presiding judge, Kham Sophary, then immediately suspended <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/killer-in-chut-wutty-case-could-be-free-within-days/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three Vietnamese nationals and one Cambodian were hospitalized Saturday after two commercial buses driving between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City collided in Svay Rieng province, police said yesterday. Ouch Sarun, provincial traffic police chief, said that the two buses [belonging to Van Rec. Co. Ltd., and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/four-people-injured-after-two-buses-collide/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government has allocated more than $3 billion for total government spending in 2013, an increase of 19.2 percent on the $2.6 billion the government planned to spend in 2012, according to a statement issued by the Council of Ministers on Friday. The statement did not <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/government-allocates-more-than-3-billion-in-2013-budget/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A new mAde-service compAny thAt clAims to be the only one of its kind in CAmbodiA is offering An AlternAtive employment option for the country’s mAny domestic workers who fAce insecure, And often Abusive, workplAce conditions overseAs. Ming Hour Home Service, which opened in July, employs <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/mAid-compAny-offers-AlternAtive-to-migrAtion/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Kratie, a province in northeast Cambodia has seen an improvement in tourist arrivals and length of stay since the Mekong Discovery Trail project was established in 2007. The Mekong Discovery Trail is a co-operative effort with the Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism and has the support of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/dolphins-drive-tourism/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

ASEAN sAys it will study how to implement A proposed economic pArtnership with its six externAl pArtners thAt might leAd to the foundAtion of world’s lArgest economic bloc. The proposed bloc, dubbed the RegionAl Comprehensive Economic PArtnership (RCEP) or “ASEAN+6” , would integrAte ASEAN’s 10 <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/AseAn-to-study-new-ties-with-six-pArtners/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

E-commerce in the Kingdom would boom during the coming years as a result of technological developments and young Cambodians being eager to gain skills in new technology, a gathering of business people heard during “E-biz Tuesday”, a monthly meeting for discussion on Cambodia’s e-commerce industry. according <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/e-commerce-set-to-boom/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three ethnic Jarai minority communities passed a crucial hurdle on the way to obtaining communal land titles in government-sanctioned ceremonies this week. But a human-rights activist tempered the celebration, saying mass deforestation in the province had already stripped most of the land the villagers are <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/titles-closer-but-land-damage-done/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Labor advisory Committee issued a joint statement on the decision to raise wages from $61 to $80 per month for garment and footwear workers. The statement was announced Friday, after a meeting between factory employers, union leaders and Labor Minister, Vong Soth. The wage provision <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/labor-committee-announces-minimum-wage/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>