News

The rate of microfinance loans with overdue payments nearly doubled last year according to the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), though it remained within a normal range and was coupled with a rise in deposits. ...

A REDD Programme representative yesterday said it would be concerning if recent claims of the military systematically clearing protected forest in Oddar Meanchey province covered under the scheme proved true – though a third-party company has dismissed the claims as outdated. ...

The Chinese government has pledged to assist the Environment Ministry with improving water quality control, providing equipment and about $1 million in funding. The announcement came at a meeting yesterday between undersecretary of state Eang Sophalleth and Wang Dongsheng, the vice president of the Chinese Academy ...

Nearly one hundred pieces of timber were found separately in Kratie province’s Prek Prasap and Sambo districts over the weekend, but no arrests were made. About 40 pieces were discovered in Sambo’s Vathanak commune after forestry officials unsuccessfully chased a truck they believed was carrying timber. ...

An ethnic Phnong community in Kratie province’s Snuol district has accused local officials and soldiers of grabbing over 1,000 hectares of community forest and threatening the lives of local villagers for years, with the rights group Adhoc yesterday saying they would take the case to ...

Officials holding the position of secretary of state will no longer be members of the Cabinet after July’s general election, it was announced yesterday.Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said the government will soon amend the law to allow for a reduction in the number ...

A young male elephant was found dead after getting stuck in a hole on Monday afternoon in Mondulkiri’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, according to officials. ...

The Ministry of Education plans to incorporate an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 community-based kindergartens – currently run by commune councils with support from NGOs – into the state public school system to ensure their sustainability, according to a new sub-decree. ...

Ratankkiri provincial authorities are trying to resolve a border dispute with Vietnam, urging the Vietnamese to reopen four recently blocked border crossings, according to National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith. The conflict originated when Cambodia rejected Vietnam’s proposal to build four new, formal border checkpoints, only accepting ...

The Cambodia Economy Reinforced Association has submitted a letter to Banteay Meanchey provincial authorities asking permission to hold a massive demonstration for four days to demand a reduction in the price of crossing the Thai border. ​ ...

The opening of a quality-inspection centre for agricultural products in Kandal province, originally scheduled for the end of 2017, has been delayed, with authorities now saying it will open during the first months of 2018. ...

Gawon Apparel factory in Kandal province’s Takhmao town has fired nearly 600 staff for breaching a court warrant ordering them to go back to work after months of protest. ...

Repairs on an ancient sandstone statue discovered in Siem Reap province in July are 50 percent complete, according to a report. The Angkor-era statue was found at the Tonle Sgnout temple by a group of Apsara Authority archaeologists working with colleagues from the Singapore-based Institute ...

The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to launch a QR code sticker scheme that will allow authorities and consumers to check the origin of vegetables and other agricultural products and see whether or not producers follow good agricultural practice (GAP).​ ...

Some 900 plaintiffs have joined a class action suit against investment company Empire Big Capital, which is estimated to have defrauded tens of thousands of Cambodians out of up to $400 million, with more complainants expected to join the legal case in the coming weeks. ...

A task force to curb natural resources crimes has cracked down on an illegal mine in Kratie province and is proposing to fill it in after there were four deaths at the site last year. ...

Kep province will be granted an award at the Asean Tourism Forum in Thailand later this month.According to a letter by the Tourism Ministry’s National Committee for Clean City Assessment signed by Tourism Minister Thong Khun, Kep will be given the Asean Clean Tourism award ...

Jailed ex-opposition figure Meach Sovannara has written a letter congratulating Prime Minister Hun Sen on his recent wedding anniversary in an apparent bid to secure a reduction in his 20-year prison term. ...

The New Year brought a new wave of evictions and development to more than 5 square kilometres on Preah Sihanouk province’s Ochheuteal Beach, though local authorities remain in the dark about what company is behind the development. ...

Three days ahead of the highly politicised January 7 holiday marking the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge, Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday slammed the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (Untac) for its alleged failure to bring peace to Cambodia in the 1990s, instead claiming his ...

The central bank injected $915 million worth of riel into the economy last year by buying up US dollars with the local currency, stabilising the exchange rate amid higher demand for riel, according to the bank’s latest report. ...

The Labour Ministry has created guidelines for owners in the garment and footwear industry to prevent factory workers from fainting. Labor Minister Ith Samheng issued an announcement yesterday containing 11 guidelines in an effort to reduce the stimuli causing workers to faint. ...

Garment workers at the Benoh Apparel factory in the capital’s Meanchey district returned to work this week after a two-month suspension to find the building abandoned, prompting a protest demanding compensation from the government. ...

With leaders from the Greater Mekong Sub-region gathering next week in Phnom Penh for a new summit on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, leading political thinkers and researchers say the LMC mechanism plays a crucial role in enhancing economic cooperation in the region and complements the work being ...