Government
Tax break for low income workers
Workers earning less than $300 each month will no longer be taxed on their earnings from January 2018, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced yesterday. ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085586/tax-break-low-income-workers/
CPP rewriting rules again, with amendments planned to political laws to redistribute CNRP seats
The Cambodian People’s Party is rewriting the nation’s political laws yet again, this time to allow the Cambodia National Rescue Party’s 55 parliamentary seats to be dished out to minor parties – with royalist Funcinpec the main beneficiary in the sweep – in the event ...
Niem Chheng, Ananth Baliga and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cpp-rewriting-rules-again-amendments-planned-political-laws-redistribute-cnrp-seats
Baby bonus extended
Women in the armed forces will receive a $200 bonus when they give birth to a child, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced yesterday. Addressing a graduate ceremony, Mr Hun Sen said female public servants have received a baby bonus since 2006, but mothers in the armed ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085353/baby-bonus-extended/
Ministry ups scrutiny of NGOs
The Interior Ministry has instructed provincial officials to urgently report any instances in which activities are carried out by any NGOs or grassroots associations without prior notification, adding that authorities can stop any planned events if they affect “public order and national security”. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-ups-scrutiny-ngos
Families regain land as claims given approval
More than 200 families who have been locked in land disputes with sugar firms will have at least some of their land returned to them after the Ministry of Land Management approved their claims yesterday, though hundreds more families are still waiting for resolution. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/families-regain-land-claims-given-approval
Hun Sen chides Suu Kyi on Rohingya, Greece’s Tsipras on hasty campaign promises
Prime Minister Hun Sen broke his avowed silence on Myanmar’s “Rohingya issue” to make a political point – and fresh election promises – at a university graduation ceremony yesterday. ...
Ben Sokhean and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-chides-suu-kyi-rohingya-greeces-tsipras-hasty-campaign-promises
Government order to display prices in riel currency fails to stick
A government prakas that requires all businesses to post prices of their goods and services in the local riel currency has had little impact on pricing practices, with the vast majority of businesses in Cambodia continuing to quote prices in US dollars and authorities showing ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/government-order-display-prices-riel-currency-fails-stick
Ministry produce plan comes up short
A $20 million Ministry of Agriculture programme has struggled to meet its goal of introducing 160 tonnes a day of high-quality locally produced vegetables to the market, with ministry officials saying that as a result of high production costs and pricing issues it was currently ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ministry-produce-plan-comes-short
NGO: Low voter registration result of political climate
The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia yesterday asked the National Election Committee and government to stabilise the current political climate to increase voter registration ahead of next year’s national election. ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085345/ngo-low-voter-registration-result-political-climate/
Hun Manith gets another star
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s middle son, Hun Manith, was among 28 officers to receive high-level promotions in the military, with the now three-star general continuing his rise through the ranks of the armed forces and ruling party. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-manith-gets-another-star
Central bank marks 38 years since rising from rubble
Cambodia’s banking sector has grown enormously on solid foundations since being rebuilt from scratch in 1979, central bank Governor Chea Chanto said yesterday during an event marking the 38-year anniversary of the re-establishment of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) after the fall of the ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/central-bank-marks-38-years-rising-rubble
Analysis: Cambodia’s government learns the art of ‘lawfare’
On Friday, all the pieces fell into place. The Ministry of Interior, a day prior, had primed the media, instructing them on how to report the day’s events. The government’s investigation and filing to the Supreme Court that called for the main opposition party to ...
Erin Handley and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/analysis-cambodias-government-learns-art-lawfare
NEC Facebook hack investigated
The Interior Ministry is investigating how hackers got into the Facebook page of the National Election Committee (NEC) spokesman and controlled it for weeks, preventing the public dissemination of election-related information. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nec-facebook-hack-investigated
Wage law change threatens Labour Advisory Committee
The future of the government’s Labour Advisory Committee is hanging in the balance as the country’s first draft law on the national minimum wage is set to come into force by the end of the year. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085122/wage-law-change-threatens-labour-advisory-committee/
English classes extended to Grade 6
The Education Ministry has decided to include English classes in the curriculum of primary schools from Grade four to six to ensure students have a foundation to continue learning at secondary school. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085108/english-classes-extended-grade-6/
Big boost for garment sector minimum wage, though some see a political motive
The government yesterday significantly upped the garment and footwear sector’s minimum wage to $170 a month, from $153, the highest increase in wages in the past two years and one that comes ahead of a crucial national election next July. ...
Yon Sineat and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/big-boost-garment-sector-minimum-wage-though-some-see-political-motive
Former Cambodia Daily reporters charged with ‘incitement’
Two former Cambodia Daily journalists have been charged with “incitement to commit a felony” over seemingly routine commune election coverage in Ratanakkiri. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/former-cambodia-daily-reporters-charged-incitement
Spike in seizures of overloaded trucks
The Transport Ministry seized 642 overloaded trucks throughout the country and leveraged fines worth more than $250,000 last month. The ministry issued a report on Wednesday, saying it had seized 642 overloaded trucks nationwide and issued fines totaling $267,627 during the month. ...
Pav Suy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5084898/spike-seizures-overloaded-trucks/
Embassies meet with NEC over voter registration
Representatives from the United States and Japanese embassies and the European Union delegation met with the National Election Committee (NEC) yesterday about ongoing voter registration, with EU Ambassador George Edgar saying the current political tension was not addressed in detail during the meeting. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/embassies-meet-nec-over-voter-registration
Teacher retirement age and salaries bumped up
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday announced that the government plans to extend the retirement age for teachers by five years to 65-years-old in order to maintain stability in the number of teachers. ...
Sen David
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5084879/teacher-retirement-age-salaries-bumped/
State buys bridge from LYP Group
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday said the government will take over management of a bridge built over the Tonle Sap River by the firm belonging tycoon senator Ly Yong Phat. ...
Ros Chanveasna
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5084897/state-buys-bridge-lyp-group/
Teachers’ wage rally blocked
On the same day that Prime Minister Hun Sen gave a speech touting salary increases for teachers ahead of next year’s national election, about 20 Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA) members were blocked from having a peaceful demonstration seeking just that. ...
Ben Sokhean, Yon Sineat and Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/teachers-wage-rally-blocked
Workshop mulls which fruits sweetest for regional plan
German development agency GIZ held a consultation workshop in Phnom Penh yesterday for its two-year Facilitating Trade in Agricultural Goods in Asean (FTAG) initiative, holding discussions with Ministry of Agriculture officials and local traders aimed at identifying the most suitable fruit and vegetable crops for ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/workshop-mulls-which-fruits-sweetest-regional-plan
Thousands more drug arrests
About 5,000 people have been arrested for drug use and trafficking since July in the second phase of an ongoing controversial drug crackdown, bringing the total number of arrestees this year to almost 13,700 people. ...
Niem Chheng and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/thousands-more-drug-arrests