The Phnom Penh Post

Flooded Forest Gets Protection

May 7th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Fishing, Forests, Land Tenure, News Source

A Northeastern section of the Mekong River that is home to a number of endangered species has been designated a conservation site by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

A prakas issued by Minister Chan Sarun on April 23 officially declared a 56-kilometre section of the Mekong mainstream between Kratie and Stung Treng towns, known as the Mekong Flooded Forest, as a “management and conservation site for biodiversity and fisheries resources”. …

Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050765443/National/flooded-forest-gets-protection.html

Kids beaten over ELC

May 6th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Disputed Land, Domestic Investment, Economic Land Concessions, Land Tenure, News Source

Five men working for Ratanakkiri rubber concessionaire DM Group, including a soldier, have been arrested for allegedly beating a villager and his children – one of whom, doctors say, may not survive – in a scuffle over their family’s land, the father said yesterday.

Police confirmed the beating and said the soldier would be sent to court  today for questioning, while the four non-military suspects would be sent to be charged.

The father, 52-year-old Ry Sarun, said that on Saturday two bulldozers and 30 DM Group workers came to his land in Ratanakkiri’s Andong Meas district – which had previously been measured and titled by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s youth volunteers – and began to clear it. …

DM Group has been implicated in a slew of alleged abuses in its long-running land disputes in Ratanakkiri. Villagers have claimed to have been intimidated by the concessionaire, and observers have suggested that the company has used lawsuits to stifle dissent. …

Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050665430/National/kids-beaten-over-elc.html

Police seize illegal rosewood; suspect escapes

May 6th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Environment & Natural Resources, Forests, Land Tenure, News Source, Timber/Wood

Nearly a tonne of rosewood was uncovered in a raid yesterday in Kampong Speu in which the suspect successfully fled after injuring an officer, police officials said. …

“According to the quality assessment, I can say a rough value of that rosewood is $300,000,” he [Keo Pisey, provincial police chief] said. “Now, we will continue to investigate and search to arrest him and his accomplices, because I think that case involves not only him.”

Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050665423/National/police-seize-illegal-rosewood-suspect-escapes.html

Village patrols seize land-clearing tools

May 6th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Agriculture & Agri-business, Agro-Industry, Economic Land Concessions, Environment & Natural Resources, Forests, Land Tenure, News Source, Timber/Wood

Jarai villagers in Ratanakkiri’s O’Yadav district escalated the defense of their protected land this weekend, confiscating the keys and batteries of bulldozers owned by the Vietnamese company they claim has been illegally clearing the area, community leaders said yesterday.

The move comes after a number of protests in recent weeks at two villages in the district against a firm known as Company 72 that is working in an economic land concession area granted to conglomerate Men Sarun Co., Ltd. …

 

Phak Seangly and May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050665426/National/village-patrols-seize-land-clearing-tools.html

Ministry: election won’t hurt tourist numbers

May 6th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Industry, News Source, Tourism

While tourism in Cambodia has historically slowed in advance of general elections, tourism leaders in the government and private sector have said they expect this year’s July elections to have little impact on tourist arrivals.  …

Tourism numbers dipped by 10.9 per cent for the 2003 general election. During the 2008 general election, tourism arrivals increased but at a much slower pace than previous years, slowing from an 18.5 per cent increase in 2007 to just 5.5 per cent in 2008.

Rann Reuy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050665415/Business/ministry-election-won-t-hurt-tourist-numbers.html

Pushing the ELC envelope

May 3rd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Disputed Land, Economic Land Concessions, Environment & Natural Resources, Foreign Investment, Forests, Land Tenure, News Source, Protected Areas, Timber/Wood

Three companies accused of illegal logging in Ratanakkiri province are in possession of a combined 30,000 hectares of economic land concessions (ELCs) that are likely illegal because they are owned by the same parent firm.

Hoang Anh Andong Meas, Hoang Anh Lumphat and Hoang Anh Ouyadav are all subsidiaries of HAGL, according to the company’s 2012 annual report.

Hoang Anh Andong Meas and Hoang Anh Lumphat’s concessions lie inside the Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary, which rights groups have said is being decimated by illegal loggers who then bring the wood onto company land.

Very similarly named companies – including one called Hoang An Andong Meas, which has a 9,775-hectare concession inside Virachey National Park – operate elsewhere in the province.

Article 59 of the Land Law stipulates individuals or legal entities controlled by the same person cannot hold more than 10,000 hectares of ELCs, even if it is spread over multiple concessions. …

Phak Seangly and Shane Warrel
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050365405/National/pushing-the-elc-envelope.html

NGO, Boeung Kak activists offer solution

May 3rd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Disputed Land, Domestic Investment, Land Tenure, News Source

The Boeung Kak community and a land rights NGO yesterday released a proposed demarcation plan they say could solve the long-standing land dispute.

In a map presented yesterday, villagers said they had agreed on a land division that would make room for 70 families locked out of a plot created by the government and set aside for hundreds of families. …

Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050365397/National/ngo-b-kak-activists-offer-solution.html

Officials talk disaster plan

May 3rd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Disasters & Disaster Management, News Source

The National Committee for Disaster Management is meeting with officials from throughout the country in Phnom Penh this week in the wake of a slew of destructive storms that have wreaked havoc in the first four months of 2013.

Officials will gather for the second and final time today to discuss three major projects: the development of national and provincial risk maps, emergency management information and early warning systems, and the establishment of new construction guidelines and building codes. …

Sen David
http://www.opendevelopmentcambodia.net/wp-admin/post-new.php?custom-write-panel-id=5

Officials Consider Export Numbers Fishy

May 3rd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Agriculture & Agri-business, Business & Commercial Development, Economics, Exports, Fishing, Livestock, News Source, Trade

The Ministry of Commerce has released figures showing Cambodia’s export of fishery goods including fresh and dried fish products have decreased drastically in the first quarter of the year, though several government officials viewed the figures with scepticism.

Cambodia exported 49.9 tonnes of fish products in the first quarter of the year a sizable drop from the 620.14 tonnes exported over the same period in 2012, the ministry’s data showed. …

Om Savath, executive director of Cambodia’s Fish Action Coalition Team, said that in general fishery production had declined this year, as the government had reduced the number of fishing lots throughout the country. …

Rann Reuy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050365392/Business/officials-consider-export-numbers-fishy.html

Prakas Set to Control Tax Agents

May 2nd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Economics, Financial Services

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) last month signed a prakas, a ministerial decision, to ensure tax agents’ professionalism, an insider told the Post yesterday. …

After the full implementation of Prakas 455, signed on April 12, agents have to pay one million riel to obtain a licence every two years. They need to be at least 18 years old, have a relevant qualification or record of study of at least six months and a clean criminal record.

Professionals also need to pass an examination, unless they already have a professional document from the MEF or the Kampuchea Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Auditors (KICPAA), or are former tax officials. …

Sarah Thust
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050265367/Business/prakas-set-to-control-tax-agents.html

Huge Increase in MFI Loans, Deposits

May 2nd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Banking & Finance, Borrowing, Business & Commercial Development, Financial Services

More economic activity and a better understanding of using formal financial services among rural residents are leading to good loan performance rates and increases in savings deposits in Cambodia’s microfinance industry, according to industry sources.

The loan portfolios of the 35 registered microfinance institutions (MFI) and four NGOs that are members of the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) reached $1 billion at the end of March, a 41 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to recent figures from the CMA.

Deposits made at seven microfinance institutions that are licensed to take deposits (MDIs) reached $346 million, a 145 per cent increase over the past 12 months. …

Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050265366/Business/huge-increase-in-mfi-loans-deposits.html

High Risk Seen in Kingdom’s Business Environment: Report

May 2nd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Agro-Industry, Business & Commercial Development, Disputed Land, Economic Land Concessions, Economics, Foreign Investment, Garment Industry, International Relations, Labor

Corruption, a weak judicial system and the potential for complicity with human and labour rights abuses are key risks for firms looking to invest in Cambodia, a new report [by Maplecroft, a UK-based global risk and strategic consulting firm] analysing investment risk in the Kingdom says. …

According to the report, Cambodia presents “extreme” risks in its business environment, labour rights and protection, and climate change vulnerability, with “high” risks for civil and political rights, its macroeconomic environment, poverty and human development, and the regulatory framework.

But Peter Brimble, deputy Cambodia country director at the Asian Development Bank, said business indexes of this kind need to be carefully interpreted. …

“The recent very rapid inflow of Japanese investors into Cambodia perhaps indicates that certain elements of such indexes may not reflect the reality on the ground, “Japanese investors are known to be sensitive to governance and transparency, and have shown their confidence by voting with their investment dollars,” he said. …

Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050265368/Business/high-risk-seen-in-kingdom-s-business-environment-report.html

Tourism: More Info Needed

May 2nd, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Industry, Tourism

In diversifing its holiday attractions, Cambodia’s tourism industry should focus on three key areas – the country’s northeastern region, the coasts and the vicinity around Siem Reap – but efforts to promote these destinations are still lacking, an industry leader says. …

Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism show that Siem Reap attracted 2.06 million international visitors last year. International tourists stayed an average of 6.3 days in Cambodia, the shortest duration since 2005, and down from the decade’s high of 6.65 days in 2008. …

To boost tourism, he suggested that tour operators also promote northeastern Cambodia, and list “details of all possible access into this area”. The area encompasses Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Kratie provinces, and boasts waterfalls, wildlife and the culture of ethnic minority groups, he [Tek Reth Samrach, secretary of state at the Council of Ministers and chairman of Cambodia Angkor Air] said….

Wei Xiang
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050265365/Business/tourism-more-info-needed.html

AFD in talks over power lines

May 1st, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Electricity, Energy, Foreign Aid, International Relations, News Source, Technical Assistance

The French Development Agency (AFD) said yesterday it is discussing an approximately 50 million euro ($65 million) loan to extend electricity transmission lines, and said it plans to provide more loans for vocational training in the Kingdom.

“We are discussing [the] loan . . . that we could give to EDC [Electricité du Cambodge] for the finance of a 200-kilometres transmission line (high tension) and a 200-kilometres line of medium tension [22KW] in the provinces of Koh Kong (between Koh Kong and Srea Ambel) and between Kampong Cham and Kratie,” Julien Darpoux, program officer for Cambodia and Laos from the French Development Agency, told the Post yesterday. …

Now only 24 to 25 per cent of households in the country have access to electricity, AFD Director André Pouillès-Duplaix said during a press conference. “We have a lot of work to do in this sector.” …

Sarah Thust
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050165342/Business/afd-in-talks-over-power-lines.html

Tales of intimidation

May 1st, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Environment & Natural Resources, Forests, Land Tenure, News Source, Timber/Wood

When activists Mom Sakin and Sorn Siyan took a stand against illegal logging in Kratie province last month, they were allegedly threatened with violence and lawsuits from officials.

“Powerful people who wanted to intimidate us shot their guns into the air to prevent us from going into the forest,” Sakin, a member of the provincial branch of the Community Peace Network, said yesterday. …

Stories like these are becoming more frequent among human rights defenders and activists, particularly those seeking to counter illegal logging, rights group Adhoc said yesterday.

“So far in 2013, 48 [human rights defenders] and activists have been threatened for their work relating to the protection of environmental and natural resources,” Adhoc said in a statement. “Those working to protect poorer Cambodians against rights abuses have repeatedly found themselves threatened and intimidated by the authorities, often at the bequest of rich and well-connected business figures.” …

Chhay Channyda and Shane Worrell
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050165357/National/tales-of-intimidation.html

Angry Villagers Confront Workers

May 1st, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Agriculture & Agri-business, Agro-Industry, Business & Commercial Development, Disputed Land, Domestic Investment, Economic Land Concessions, Environment & Natural Resources, Farming, Forests, Land Tenure, News Source, Protected Areas, Timber/Wood

Jarai minority villagers in Ratanakkiri’s O’Yadav district protested in two locations yesterday against a Vietnamese company that community leaders say has been clearing their protected land and forcing villagers to accept inadequate compensation.

Community leader Sev Hem said 30 angry villagers directly confronted five Company 72 workers and their bulldozers in Yatung commune’s Ten village yesterday. …

Villagers and local rights group Adhoc claim Company 72 had forced 10 families in Ten village to give their thumbprints to an agreement accepting $200 per hectare in compensation. …

Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050165347/National/angry-villagers-confront-workers.html

Telecoms Regulator Calls For Price Meeting

May 1st, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Domestic Investment, Economics, News Source

The Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) is calling all mobile phone operators to attend a meeting next week in order to reconsider the costs for within-and across-network calls, after disputes over bonus promotions in Cambodia’s crowded telecoms market.

TRC director Mao Chakrya said that for the meeting on Thursday next week he would discuss the “cost base” of phone calls to which all operators’ representatives agree on, in order to avoid having costs below the agreed price. …

In an effort to tackle price disputes between the mobile operators and to set minimum tariffs, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications signed the Inter-Ministerial Prakas Number 232 on Minimum Tariffs of Mobile and Fixed Telephone Services and Interconnection Fees in December 2009.

According the prakas, the minimum cost of calls within a network is 4.5 US cents per minute. …

Rann Reuy and Anne Renzenbrink
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013050165340/Business/telecoms-regulator-calls-for-price-meeting.html

Government To Push Digital Empowerment

April 30th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Business & Commercial Development, Domestic Investment, Economics, Industry, News Source, Telecommunications

Senior government officials yesterday were promoting the development of the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector in the Kingdom, particularly the concept of digital empowerment among young people.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who presided over the opening of ITU Asia-Pacific Regional Development Forum, held in Phnom Penh, said Cambodia is a country that has more mobile phone subscriptions than the entire size of the population. …

The growth of mobile phones has been considerable in Cambodian over the last few years: in 2012 numbers of mobile and fixed-line phones was 19.7 million; while the year before the numbers were 16.2 million, according to report of Ministry of Post and Telecommunication for 2012. …

Rann Reuy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013043065306/Business/government-to-push-digital-empowerment.html

Maids to rally for rights

April 29th, 2013, The Phnom Penh Post, Labor, News Source

Half a year after the first Cambodian domestic workers network formed, Cambodian activists for maids’ rights are turning to workers in other sectors and international organisations for solidarity and support.

Long lacking organised representation, Cambodian domestic workers this Wednesday will join workers in other industries in rallying in front of the National Assembly on International Labour Day, said Chum Chamm, program officer for the Cambodian Domestic Workers Network. …

Eight countries have now ratified International Labour Organization Convention 189, which requires days off, a minimum wage and several other rights for maids. …

Justine Drennan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013042965296/National/maids-to-rally-for-rights.html

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