News
Tourist arrivals rise, but short of estimate
An estimated 4.8 million tourists visited Cambodia in 2015, up 6 percent from the 4.5 million visitors last year, Ministry of Tourism Undersecretary of State Top Sopheak said on Sunday. ...
Kang Sothear and Ben Paviour
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/tourist-arrivals-rise-but-short-of-estimate-106269/
Borei Keila families get flats, payouts
Thirty-one evicted Borei Keila community families received flats and another four families got $15,000 buyouts on Saturday as part of a “lucky draw” organised to resolve their years-long land dispute. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/borei-keila-families-get-flats-payouts
Interior ministry threatens to fire “ghost employees” who haunt gov’t offices
The Interior Ministry has warned 140 of its employees to stop skipping work or risk being fired. It is one of the first government ministries to penalize “ghost workers” – the thousands of bureaucrats, police officers, and other civil servants who are on the government ...
May Titthara / Jonathan Cox
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/20480/interior-ministry-threatens-to-fire----ghost-employees----who-haunt-gov---t-offices/
New standards for recruitment agencies
The Ministry of Labour on Saturday issued a 12-point set of standards for recruitment agencies sending workers abroad, warning operators they have just over a month to comply. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-standards-recruitment-agencies
Water birds make comeback in Battambang
Water bird numbers are making a big comeback in the Prek Toal conservation area on the Tonle Sap lake in Battambang province, the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a report released on Saturday. ...
Igor Kossov
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/water-birds-make-comeback-battambang
Ministries announce lower licensing costs
Driver’s licence and vehicle inspection fees have been cut nearly in half, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation announced late last week. ...
Lay Samean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministries-announce-lower-licensing-costs
Residents protest road planned near OCIC development site
About 50 Phnom Penh residents gathered On Sunday to rally against a planned road on Chroy Changva peninsula that will run alongside a massive $3 billion development project. The 12-meter-wide road will be located just 100 meters behind National Road 6A. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/residents-protest-road-planned-near-ocic-development-site-106262/
Letter urges Kerry to pressure government on human rights
Ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s planned visit to Cambodia this week, local and international NGOs have urged Mr. Kerry not to sign any new bilateral agreements unless Cambodia vows to improve its human rights and democracy efforts. ...
Peter Ford
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/letter-urges-kerry-to-pressure-government-on-human-rights-106254/
‘Legend island’ draws $1 billion tourism project
About $1 billion will be invested to transform Koh Tang – “Legend Island” – into a luxury destination for domestic and international tourists, with resorts, hotels, a theme park, golf course and airport, executives said at the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understand (MoU) ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/20484/---legend-island----draws--1-billion-tourism-project/
PM lowers medical student exam fees
In response to the Facebook comment of a medical student, Prime Minister Hun Sen has decided to lower the final exam fee for medical students from about $125 to $25. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/20479/pm-lowers-medical-student-exam-fees/
Wheelchair accessible tuk-tuk debuts
The maker of a new tuk-tuk prototype retrofitted with a wheelchair ramp hopes to usher in a new era of wheelchair-friendly travel in Phnom Penh. ...
Brent Crane
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/wheelchair-accessible-tuk-tuk-debuts
Authorities monitoring Zika virus in Cambodia
A disease expert in Cambodia said on Friday that although the Zika virus—which has recently been linked to birth defects and paralysis in South America—had circulated in Cambodia in the past, there had been no reported cases of the virus here for three years, though ...
Taylor O'Connell
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/authorities-monitoring-zika-virus-in-cambodia-106228/
S. Korea is laying the foundation for accelerating growth
The flow of Korean investment into Cambodia has been in the spotlight for more than a decade, primarily foreign direct investment in the construction and property sectors. Investment from the East Asian nation continues its rise, and in 2014 South Korean investment in Cambodia ranked ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/20465/s--korea-is-laying-the-foundation-for-accelerating-growth/
Professor studies impact of Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia
Patrick Heuveline sat among villagers in Cambodia, showing them photos of his daughter to establish common ground with a group of people whose culture he had yet to fully understand.Heuveline, a UCLA sociology professor since 2007, has now spent about 15 years studying the effects ...
Miriam Bribiesca
http://dailybruin.com/2016/01/22/professor-studies-impact-of-khmer-rouge-regime-in-cambodia/
Cambodian women face major economic challenges
Each morning, Phan Kha drags her cart full of mussels through the streets of Phnom Penh. She pulls the cart up to 20 kilometers a day, and on a good day, she makes $10. ...
Phorn Bopha
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/cambodian-women-face-major-economic-challenges/3156183.html
Gov’t, UNHCR to share refugee responsibilities
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) yesterday said that it would divide between itself and the Cambodian government the duties of processing and potentially relocating the scores of Montagnard asylum seekers whose claims the government finally agreed to hear on Wednesday. ...
Daniel de Carteret
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/govt-unhcr-share-refugee-responsibilities
Exports through port rise nearly 10 percent from 2014
The number of ships coming through the port rose 17 percent year to year, and cruise ships rose from 25 to 36. ...
Phorn Bopha
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/exports-through-port-rise-nearly-10-percent-from-2014/3154467.html
‘Skills gap’ remains an impediment to growth, new report says
Cambodia must tackle the skills gap to boost the productivity of its labor force in order to grow its economy, according to the latest report. ...
Hean Socheata
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/skills-gap-remains-an-impediment-to-growth-new-report-says/3156042.html
National Police add weight to logging crackdown
Cambodia’s National Police have joined the fray in an ongoing crackdown against illegal logging, starting their own “mission group” following the creation of a military police task force last week. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/national-police-add-weight-logging-crackdown
Mining ministry hits pay dirt in ’15
The Ministry of Mines and Energy generated a four-fold increase in non-tax revenues from extractive industries last year, collecting just over $17 million, a ministry official said yesterday. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mining-ministry-hits-pay-dirt-15
Tobacco law fines in works
The ministries of health and information are working together to put some teeth into last year’s law restricting the advertisement of tobacco products to sale locations. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/tobacco-law-fines-works
Netherlands to bring clean stove auction to Cambodia
A pilot project to bring clean-burning portable stoves to Cambodia was announced on Monday by the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), which hopes to expand the venture to neighboring Laos and Vietnam. ...
Peter Ford
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/netherlands-to-bring-clean-stove-auction-to-cambodia-106121/
Labor leaders call for more discussion on union law
In a joint statement, civil society and labor leaders urged the government to accept changes to the law as they continue to discuss it. ...
Hean Socheata
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/labor-leaders-call-for-more-discussion-on-union-law/3154489.html
Royal group ordered to dismantle jetty on O’tres beach
Six months after it started construction, Kith Meng’s Royal Group has been ordered to demolish a nearly finished jetty on O’Tres Beach near Sihanoukville, with local officials saying the tycoon’s company was never granted permission to build it in the first place. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/royal-group-ordered-to-dismantle-jetty-on-otres-beach-106093/