Cambodia News

Government slow on reforms: WTO review

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Title: Government slow on reforms: WTO review
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Despite the massive economic gains Cambodia has made since being accepted into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004, which grante...

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Despite the massive economic gains Cambodia has made since being accepted into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004, which granted it preferential trade status with major consumer markets, the government has not championed many positive reforms over the past six years.</div>
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According to the WTO’s second official Trade Policy Review of the Kingdom, which wrapped up last week in Geneva, the government has failed to significantly improve its export procedures, to strengthen rule of law and good governance, to promote transparency and to tackle infrastructure bottlenecks like high energy costs since last being reviewed in 2011.</div>
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While the trade review lauded Cambodia’s strengthening GDP, which since 2011 has grown an average of 7 percent annually, as playing a key role in promoting investment and alleviating poverty, it encouraged the Kingdom to formalise much of its economy.</div>
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“The informal nature of a large portion of the Cambodian economy, which is largely based on services followed by agriculture, implies that GDP is significantly underestimated, and that it undermines the effectiveness of government policy,” an executive summary from the WTO said.</div>
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The WTO also noted that Cambodia still faces several structural constraints and vulnerabilities which affect economic growth and render the economy and financial system vulnerable to shocks. These include a narrow economic base largely dependent on the garment sector, a high cost of doing business and a highly dollarised economy with underdeveloped financial markets.</div>
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While the review mentioned some regulatory gains, citing a slew of draft laws which at least made it to the floor of the National Assembly, the WTO added that “a common theme that pervades most aspects of Cambodia’s economy is the delay in drafting and implementing new legislation.”</div>
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The WTO said Cambodia needs to quickly improve business confidence and create an environment more conducive to investment by adopting reforms that address diversification and competiveness.</div>
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“These reforms would help Cambodia attain its economic and welfare policy objectives and further integrate into the world trading system,” the WTO said.</div>
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Another sore spot on Cambodia’s scorecard was a lack of investment into infrastructure and persistently high logistics costs.</div>
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“Cambodia remains characterised by low road and water connectivity as its transport industry continues to face challenges including high merchandise transportation costs – in particular, shipping – and inadequate infrastructure despite an increase in ports capacity,” the review said. “Railway transport remained of limited availability and performance due to slow progress in rehabilitation projects.”</div>
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Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, who led Cambodia’s delegation to Geneva, said the WTO review would help Cambodia strengthen its trade-related policies by identifying its weaknesses. He added that the review process also provides the country an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the economy and identify objectives where it should seek outside technical assistance.</div>
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“This review provided us an opportunity to listen to the WTO’s comments and concerns on our trade related policy,” he said. “This review helped us to identify clearly what kind of assistance is necessary to develop a better trade and investment regime in our country.”</div>
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However, David Van, executive director of Deewee Management, said that the Cambodian government has little excuse for its performance in the latest review seeing that it has had since 2004 to enact proper policies in line with WTO guidelines.</div>
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“Cambodia has fallen way behind on its commitments, especially when it comes to legislation it has been drafting over the last 13 years,” he said. “We are none the wiser as to when exactly [these laws] will sail through parliament, considering nothing will be achieved until after next year’s elections.”</div>
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He added that the recent government mandate which promised numerous positive reforms has been over-hyped and lacked meaningful results.</div>
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“What would be in store for the next mandate is anyone’s wild guess,” he said, adding that it was unclear if the government had the political will to implement long overdue critical reforms.</div>

Government slow on reforms: WTO review

Despite the massive economic gains Cambodia has made since being accepted into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004, which grante...

Business Insider: Joonaak delivering convenience

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Title: Business Insider: Joonaak delivering convenience
Author: Unknown
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

As consumer habits shift and online shopping continues to grow in Cambodia, the need for reliable and timely package delivery services ...

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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">As consumer habits shift and online shopping continues to grow in Cambodia, the need for reliable and timely package delivery services is on the rise.</em> The Post<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">’s Robin Spiess sat down with Leakhena Long, COO and co-founder of local startup Joonaak Delivery, to discuss the importance of delivery services in the changing consumer market that is dominated by small business owners.</em></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What services does Joonaak Delivery provide?</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />We offer delivery services for online shops and distribute goods like packages, gifts and letters. We also offer fulfillment solutions, which include warehousing and packaging for our clients. Our delivery rates range in price depending on size of the package and distance to delivery.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When did you launch and why did you choose to focus on delivery?</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />We officially launched in March of 2015. At first, we just wanted to start a business, so we looked at the market to see what type of service would be unique because we didn’t want to start a business others had already started. We noticed that e-commerce is growing in Cambodia and people are starting to buy things online, but the delivery element is still lacking.</div>
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Back then, there were only food delivery services, but after a year or so other businesses started to offer the same sort of delivery services as us and now there are maybe 20 in the market. They saw that this was a great business idea because many small businesses operate on Facebook and do not have logistical support. A lot of these businessowners don’t have their own staff, and many run their shops and also work day jobs.</div>
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For people who work multiple jobs, this delivery service can help them to sell their products and not have to worry too much about logistics. They can increase their profits by using our services.</div>
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We also have business owners from the provinces who sell their products and transport them through us. Phnom Penh is very centrally located, so you can send packages anywhere from here, but it’s very hard to do that from the provinces.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How big is your business?</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />We don’t make that much in profits yet because we have to reinvest our revenue back into the business. We have 21 staff in total, as well as 15 motorbikes and two three-wheelers for delivery. We only have one warehouse for now, but we just introduced warehousing services last year so we haven’t yet filled the available space. Over the past two and a half years, we have had about 250 businesses use our services to send their packages.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Do you have any plans for expansion?</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />We’ll be expanding soon, and are about to launch an app which we are tweaking and testing now. We will have the app for merchants and for customers, so customers can check the status of their delivery and merchants can request the pick-up of packages more easily. We are going to expand into other provinces, too. For now we’re only based in Phnom Penh, but we want to expand into one or two new cities soon.</div>
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As it is right now, we only offer transfer services to people in the provinces. We usually arrange a taxi or make use of bus services to take packages to people outside of the city, and clients can then retrieve their packages from the taxi or bus station. We charge $1 for the transfer plus the bus or taxi fee, which is normally $1.25 to $2. We can usually get a package to someone in the provinces within 24 hours.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What types of challenges have you faced?</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />In Cambodia, two houses might have the same address and it’s really hard to find the proper location sometimes. For now, our drivers have our client’s phone numbers and can call them to confirm location. Clients have to be present to receive packages, because we also rely on cash on delivery. We do not yet accept alternative forms of payment.</div>
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Also, this is becoming a competitive market. Other businesses like to try to compete on price, but we don’t do that as much. We find other ways to promote our services, like ensuring our high quality and offering add-on services like warehousing. We were one of the very first in the market so people know us, and we have a very good reputation.</div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.</em></div>

Business Insider: Joonaak delivering convenience

As consumer habits shift and online shopping continues to grow in Cambodia, the need for reliable and timely package delivery services ...

Students discuss farming tech at 'Agri-techathon'

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Title: Students discuss farming tech at 'Agri-techathon'
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Dozens of Cambodian college students gathered at the Royal University of Agriculture on Saturday to participate in an “agri-techathon” ...

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Dozens of Cambodian college students gathered at the Royal University of Agriculture on Saturday to participate in an “agri-techathon” that encouraged them to discuss the need for sustainable and smarter technology-based solutions to support the sector.</div>
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Organised by the Belt and Road Angel Investment Roundtable, a Hong Kong-based fund that promotes startups, the techathon offered students an opportunity to hear from successful entrepreneurs in the Kingdom and learn to promote their ideas.</div>
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Pen Chanda, chairman and CEO of online payment gateway Bongloy, said during a panel discussion that the private sector needs to help push forward new ideas and find funding solutions.</div>
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“We look at entrepreneurs as the future of this country,” he said. “[Bongloy] wants to invest in ideas which it can help to push forward. The private sector is going to be crucial to developing technology in the country.”</div>
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Christine Zimmerman, chairwoman of the Association for Vertical Farming, spoke about the positive impacts of the technology, which uses less land and fewer resources to produce more food than traditional farming methods.</div>
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“We need to produce our food differently and closer to urban areas, where most people live,” she said. “You can make that happen and entrepreneurs are crucial.”</div>
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She noted that several Western countries have integrated vertical farming techniques that let farmers measure plant health and calculate the exact amount of pesticides to use.</div>
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While she was overwhelmingly supportive of the use of technology in agriculture, she warned against overuse of it.</div>
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“I mostly see positive impacts of technology in agriculture,” she said. “But the robotisation of our world is something we should be aware of, and we do have to look critically towards technology.”</div>
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Melanie Mossard, director of community at ImpactHub, encouraged the students in the crowd to be proactive about promoting their ideas and seeking help to create viable business plans.</div>
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“When you’re an entrepreneur, you have to speak about your big dreams,” she said. “Don’t be shy about asking for help. And remember that if you fail, it’s OK.”</div>

Students discuss farming tech at 'Agri-techathon'

Dozens of Cambodian college students gathered at the Royal University of Agriculture on Saturday to participate in an “agri-techathon” ...

Sihanoukville is top choice for Russia flight plan

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Title: Sihanoukville is top choice for Russia flight plan
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Regularly scheduled direct flights between Cambodia and Russia proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen last week in Moscow might land in the ...

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Regularly scheduled direct flights between Cambodia and Russia proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen last week in Moscow might land in the coastal town of Sihanoukville, an official said yesterday.</div>
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Cambodia has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for direct flights in 2015, and last week’s talks were hoped to speed up implementation, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said.</div>
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“In the meeting [last week], the Russian prime minister pushed for a direct flight from Russia to Sihanoukville,” he said, adding that Dmitry Medvedev expressed that a seaside destination would be the most popular option.</div>
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Khon added that participants of the <a href="http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/russia-and-cambodia-look-increase-investment" style="border: 0px; color: #780146; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">meeting</a> also worked on finalising a travel visa sub-decree that would allow Russians to enter for one to three years.</div>
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While the visit lacked concrete results, Khon hopes the deals will be finalised soon, especially as Russia tourist arrivals fell by 17.6 per cent during the first quarter of this year.</div>
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The numbers fell from 24,000 to 19,842 compared to the same time last year. However, Russians are still ranked as Sihanoukville’s second highest visitor, following the Chinese.</div>
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Ngoun Meng Tech, director of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, said that the primary mission of the visit was to establish trust and confidence in order to spark an inflow of Russian investment.</div>
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“We signed a MoU with the Russian Chamber of Commerce and I believe that further business projects will come from Russia,” he said.</div>

Sihanoukville is top choice for Russia flight plan

Regularly scheduled direct flights between Cambodia and Russia proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen last week in Moscow might land in the ...

Russian crude oil imports not on refinery’s wishlist

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Title: Russian crude oil imports not on refinery’s wishlist
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Russia is looking to expand its crude oil exports to ASEAN countries – including Cambodia – despite the Kingdom being years away from ha...

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Russia is looking to expand its crude oil exports to ASEAN countries – including Cambodia – despite the Kingdom being years away from having refinery capabilities.</div>
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The announcement made by the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak during last week’s<a href="http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/russia-and-cambodia-look-increase-investment" style="border: 0px; color: #780146; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Russian-ASEAN summit</a>, comes at a time when Western-backed sanctions and a global fall in oil prices have caused the oil and natural gas giant to seek out new markets.</div>
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According to the minister, Russia is looking to create an oil swap scheme with numerous untouched markets.</div>
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“Today deliveries are being made as part of swap operations to Malaysia and Singapore. In a perspective, we are also considering deliveries to Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia,” he said, according to Russian media.</div>
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The oil swap schemes could be developed in both long-term and short-term contracts.</div>
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“We don’t have reasons for waiving supplies in case there is demand and commercial benefit. We’re ready to supply to the countries that need oil and oil products, this direction is interesting to us,” he said.</div>
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Hann Kheing, managing director of the Cambodia Petrochemical Company (CPC), which is building Cambodia’s $2.3 billion landmark <a href="http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/chinese-firm-bags-contract-oil-refinery" style="border: 0px; color: #780146; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">oil refinery</a> in Kampot province, said it was unlikely that the company would look towards Russian crude when the facility is completed in 2018.</div>
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“Our capacity of 5 million tonnes annually will be very little for the Russian market. And even if the crude remains cheap, long distance shipments are not economical. I don’t think we will take Russian oil because the logistics costs are very high,” he said.</div>
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He added that smaller shipments from the Middle East or potentially Northern Europe would make more economic sense.</div>
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Chea Socheat, director general of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said CPC needs to carefully study any agreements for crude oil supply.</div>
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“It depends on the company’s decision, but they should consider importing crude from global suppliers very carefully to make sure the transportation costs and the quality of the crude is the most economical for the refinery,” he said.</div>

Russian crude oil imports not on refinery’s wishlist

Russia is looking to expand its crude oil exports to ASEAN countries – including Cambodia – despite the Kingdom being years away from ha...

Tapping into Cambodia’s energy sector

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Title: Tapping into Cambodia’s energy sector
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The Cambodian government plans to reduce electricity costs by 2020, a goal that has bred a lot of partnerships with both local and forei...

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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Cambodian government plans to reduce electricity costs by 2020, a goal that has bred a lot of partnerships with both local and foreign energy companies. Dararith Lim, country leader and director of market development at General Electric, sat down with the </em>Post<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">’s Cheng Sokhorng to talk about its investment in Cambodia’s energy sector.</em></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How important is the development of Cambodia’s electricity sector in increasing industry investment and competition?</strong></div>
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As we know, energy plays an important role in Cambodia and is a point of focus for the government when it comes to attracting foreign investment to Cambodia. The price of electricity is also very important as the electricity cost in neighbouring countries has become increasingly more competitive.</div>
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The government is investing in, and encouraging, the private sector to develop and build hydropower and coal-fired plants to provide access to all the industries that need power. I hope that all electricity prices will soon lower as a result. I understand that the government is improving electricity infrastructure as well.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">GE signed a $1 million agreement with EDC in December 2014 to improve Cambodia’s electricity grid. What did this deal entail and how has it been implemented?</strong></div>
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In December 2014, there was a GE consultant team who signed a contract for a grid study with the EDC, the state-owned electricity power company in Cambodia. They are the main utility that provides the national grid and that supports grid resolution across the country.</div>
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In the $1 million agreement, we provided software and hardware to EDC for the national grid and EMS (energy management system) for five years. We also looked at the wiring of their grid system to see how reliable it was as well as the security of the system. We provided them with information on what they had done right and what they can improve on moving forward.</div>
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Also, as part of the $1 million contract, we agreed to offer EDC software maintenance for five additional years and to provide them with skills training and access to the software for the national centre that controls the energy management system.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What problems have you identified with the national grid and how can they be remedied?</strong></div>
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There were no problems in the actual grid infrastructure, only ways in which the government could improve electricity access. For me, I did not see many big challenges. I see opportunity since our economic growth rate is around 7 per cent. The fast growth in the economy within a very small yet dynamic population helps the government make fast decisions; which is why GE brings technology to support the government’s energy, aviation, health care, water, and oil and gas sectors too.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How much has GE invested in Cambodia since arriving in 2007 and where has it invested?</strong></div>
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GE is a huge company that made $150 billion in revenue with 400,000 employees last year. It’s hard to figure out how much revenue was made from Cambodia out of the $2 billion made from ASEAN countries.</div>
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But we invested $14 million in Cambodia between 2008 and 2015, provided technological equipment to help patients in 31 hospitals across the country, a biomedical training school and a clean water project. GE does not make a huge profit here, but helps the government by promoting human resources.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Cambodia allows 100 per cent foreign ownership. How does its investment climate compare to other markets that GE is invested in?</strong></div>
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It is one of the fastest growing ASEAN economies and has a very young dynamic labour force, so it will need a lot of infrastructure and investment. Cambodia plays an important role in ASEAN because the government is able to implement things much faster. GE has a lot of opportunities in the Cambodian market.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Have there been any new developments in GE’s other fields in Cambodia?</strong></div>
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ALSTOM Energy is now part of GE since last year; in a partnership we call GE-ALSTOM Power and Grid, providing us with a focus on sustainable and renewable energy. GE has experts and technology that engages with coal and hydropower technology in Cambodia as well as with oil and gas.</div>
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So GE is looking at how to work with local investors on how to build human resource capacity. GE is looking to provide service for key industries in any energy sector.</div>

Tapping into Cambodia’s energy sector

The Cambodian government plans to reduce electricity costs by 2020, a goal that has bred a lot of partnerships with both local and forei...

Turkey joins the air cargo business

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Title: Turkey joins the air cargo business
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Turkish Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance network, has become the newest player to enter into Cambodia’s air freight business afte...

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Turkish Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance network, has become the newest player to enter into Cambodia’s air freight business after launching operations last Saturday.</div>
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The new route will see an Airbus 330, with a capacity to hold 60 tonnes, fly between Phnom Penh and Istanbul every Saturday, explained Buthay Outdom, manager of GSA-One World Aviation Co Ltd – the air freight forwarding company that has partnered with Turkish Airlines.</div>
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Turkish Airlines is the fourth airline to offer a direct cargo flight out of Phnom Penh International Airport and carried 55 tonnes inbound and 52 tonnes outbound during its first flight, he said.</div>
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While the flights are only focused on ferrying goods, Outdom believes that it could set the stage for passenger operations.</div>
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“We will first focus on freight for now and will consider having a passenger flight within the next year,” he said.</div>
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The utilisation of air freight has recently taken off, and two additional operators, K Mile and Air-Bridge Cargo, are expected to start operations in July.</div>
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Sinn Chanresey Vutha, spokesman for State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said the Turkish Airlines agreement dates back to 2014, and that cargo was primarily bound for the Middle East marketplace.</div>
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“The freighters carry primarily luxury goods between Cambodia and the Middle East,” he said.</div>
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According to data provided from Cambodia Airports, during the first quarter of 2016, Phnom Penh International Airport alone received more than 863,000 passengers and handled up to 8,500 domestic and international flight movements, while total cargo tonnage grew by 17.3 per cent year-on-year, reaching 10,477 tonnes.</div>

Turkey joins the air cargo business

Turkish Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance network, has become the newest player to enter into Cambodia’s air freight business afte...

Bilateral trade with Thailand declines

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Title: Bilateral trade with Thailand declines
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Bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia decreased by 13 per cent in the first three months of this year compared to the same perio...

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Bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia decreased by 13 per cent in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2015, according to statistics provided by the Royal Thai Embassy.</div>
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The value of Cambodian exports to Thailand reached $290 million by the end of March, an 11.02 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.</div>
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However, imports, valued at $1 billion, decreased by 17.8 per cent by the end of March.</div>
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Overall bilateral trade stood at $1.3 billion, a 13.2 per cent decrease, which allowed the trade imbalance between the two countries to drop by a considerable 20 per cent.</div>
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Soeng Sophary, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said that while there has always been a trade imbalance between the two countries, a 20 per cent decline was a good sign that the gap would continue to narrow.</div>
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“Since most of Cambodia’s market depends on other countries markets,” she said, these numbers will “always fluctuate”.</div>
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But, she added that it could show that Cambodian products were gaining a competitive advantage, especially in light of the ASEAN Economic Community which is aimed at reducing trade barriers.</div>
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Mey Kalyan, senior adviser to the supreme national economic council, said it was too early to determine if this was a developing trend.</div>
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“It is hard to analyse since we are now within a more free market,” he said.</div>
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He added that an influx of Chinese imports as well as a rise of domestic products could explain the drop in bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailand.</div>
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While he welcomed the news that Cambodian exports had increased, he added that the country should continue to strive to process its own products rather than relying on raw material exports to make up for the majority of exports.</div>
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“If Cambodia only relies on exporting raw materials, we lose out on potential profits from our resources,” he said.</div>
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Total trade between Cambodian and Thailand grew to $5.5 billion last year, up from $5.1 billion in 2014.</div>

Bilateral trade with Thailand declines

Bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia decreased by 13 per cent in the first three months of this year compared to the same perio...

Phnom Penh SEZ announces listing date

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Title: Phnom Penh SEZ announces listing date
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On May 30, Phnom Penh SEZ Plc, which operates a 347-hectare industrial park just outside the capital, is set to become the fourth public...

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On May 30, Phnom Penh SEZ Plc, which operates a 347-hectare industrial park just outside the capital, is set to become the fourth publicly listed company on the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX).</div>
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The company successfully subscribed 11.5 million shares of its initial public offering (IPO), setting an issue price at 2,860 riel ($0.71) per share.</div>
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The company expects to raise $8.2 million for the development of a 53-hectare SEZ on the Thai border near Poipet.</div>

Phnom Penh SEZ announces listing date

On May 30, Phnom Penh SEZ Plc, which operates a 347-hectare industrial park just outside the capital, is set to become the fourth public...

Thai solar energy company aims for 20-megawatt plant

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Title: Thai solar energy company aims for 20-megawatt plant
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Thai-listed renewable energy company, Inter Far East Corporation Public Company Limited (IFEC), which is constructing a 20-megawatt sola...

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Thai-listed renewable energy company, Inter Far East Corporation Public Company Limited (IFEC), which is constructing a 20-megawatt solar power plant for industrial applications in Kampong Speu province, aims to be up and running by the second quarter of this year, a company spokesperson said yesterday.</div>
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Commercial operations will take place in the province to the west of Phnom Penh where 2-megawatts of its renewable energy project have already been completed, explained Vimonrut MJ, secretary to IFEC Cambodia President.</div>
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“We are planning to sell the electricity to the factories around there,” she said. “I hope it will be completed sometime this year.”</div>
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She explained that although the plant design is capable of producing and distributing 20-megawatts of solar power, the energy company is currently only licensed by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to distribute 10-megawatts. The lack of distribution licensing permits may delay completion of the project, she added.</div>
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IFEC originally <a href="http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/energetic-waste-proposal" style="border: 0px; color: #780146; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">entered into the Cambodian energy market</a> in 2014 when the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with city hall to conduct a one-year feasibility study for a waste disposal biomass plant.</div>
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While that project never took off, the company has invested $1 million into the Kingdom, according to the company’s 2015 annual financial report. The project was originally slated to be completed in September of last year, but was delayed due to the rainy season.</div>
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The company currently operates nearly a dozen small-scale solar power operations and two renewable waste plants in Thailand totalling 30 megawatts of power annually, and accumulated a net profit of approximately $9.3 million last year. According to the financial report, the company has sent out bids for an additional 11 energy schemes.</div>
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Tun Lean, spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Energy, confirmed the IFEC’s project proposal is estimated at over $1.2 million per 5 megawatts of energy produced. And that the company has recently entered into a contract deal to supply the yet to be constructed Byers factory, a US-based telecommunications supply company.</div>
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“This project will only supply factories and the people nearby under a REE [Rural Electricity Enterprise] licence,” he said. “This project will not supply power to EDC [Electricity Company of Cambodia] or sell power to the public, so its production capacity depends on demand from the factories following the contracts they sign.”</div>
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Jim Gramberg, CEO of Solar Partners Asia (Cambodia) Ltd, is skeptical about Thai investment in Cambodia’s green energy sector, especially if it is waiting for factory supply deals.</div>
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“There are many Thai companies trying to get into Cambodia to do these things. They make all sorts of promises and then when they actually come here, they find out it’s not as easy as they thought it was and keep customers on hold and waiting,” he said.</div>
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He added that although Cambodia has the capacity to generate about 600 megawatts of renewable energy in the next few years, the government’s policy goal of significantly lowering the price of electricity by 2020 through solar should be regarded lightly.</div>
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“I think that the intention of the government is not really relevant at this stage because they are just starting up with renewable energy in the form of solar and as time is passing, demand is rising,” he said, adding that the government currently lacks the knowledge to undertake large-scale green energy projects.</div>

Thai solar energy company aims for 20-megawatt plant

Thai-listed renewable energy company, Inter Far East Corporation Public Company Limited (IFEC), which is constructing a 20-megawatt sola...

Russia and Cambodia look to increase investment

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Title: Russia and Cambodia look to increase investment
Author: Unknown
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Cambodia and Russia have officially inked agreements to promote bilateral trade and investment until 2020, although concrete details abo...

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Cambodia and Russia have officially inked agreements to promote bilateral trade and investment until 2020, although concrete details about how that will be accomplished have yet to be released.</div>
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During the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit this week, Prime Minister Hun Sen led a delegation of high ranking officials and members of the business community to discuss ways of boosting economic relations.</div>
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In total, Cambodia signed eight agreements with their Russian counterparts. Such business agreements include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Russian Ministry of Communications and Mass Media and the Cambodian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to cooperate on information technology.</div>
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Pan Sorasak, the newly-appointed Minister of Commerce, signed a joint statement with Alexei Likhachyov, the Russian first deputy Minister of Economic Development, on a list of project proposals aimed at increasing trade and investment up to 2020.</div>
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The signing of the agreements were presided over by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Hun Sen.</div>
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“We have signed a list of bilateral projects to be implemented by 2020. It will provide the basis for developing investment cooperation and trade and for addressing a number of other issues,” said Medvedev, according to a transcript from the signing ceremony.</div>
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“Although bilateral trade grew by about 40 per cent at the beginning of the year, it is well below our potential in absolute terms,” he said.</div>
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Medvedev added that Russia has good prospects for investing in the construction of energy facilities, supplying cargo lifting equipment, and drilling and mining tools. He also highlighted that there was room to develop the agriculture and telecommunications sectors.</div>
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Hun Sen welcomed the agreements and said the respective governments would continue to work to strengthen political and economic partnerships.</div>
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“We signed six agreements during the prime minister’s visit in November last year, and today we have signed another eight agreements. This is evidence of our trust in each other,” he said, adding that Russia should continue to pursue opening up direct flights between Moscow and Phnom Penh to boost tourism.</div>
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Since Medvedev’s first state visit last November, the two countries have been trying to hammer out a bilateral trade deal.</div>
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While specific details have yet to emerge on the framework of the agreement, numerous Russian businesses have conducted investment tours throughout the Kingdom.</div>
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In March, 16 Russian firms alone visited Cambodia, including the state-run firm JSC Russian Railways, and Inter Rao – an energy holding company.</div>
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However, Stephen Higgins, managing partner of investment firm Mekong Strategic Partners, said it would be difficult for Cambodia and Russia to develop a strong trade or investment relationship because each country’s economic advantages do not overlap.</div>
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“Russia’s advantage is very much centred on cheap fossil fuels, but that isn’t really going to help Cambodia as we look forward [in the next] five to ten years,” he said.</div>
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Trade volume between Russia and Cambodia fell by 16 per cent in 2015, totalling $110.7 million.</div>

Russia and Cambodia look to increase investment

Cambodia and Russia have officially inked agreements to promote bilateral trade and investment until 2020, although concrete details abo...

Angkor Malis brand name yet to satisfy

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Title: Angkor Malis brand name yet to satisfy
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

With the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) ready to adopt “Angkor Malis” in June as the official brand name for the Kingdom’s premium vari...

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With the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) ready to adopt “Angkor Malis” in June as the official brand name for the Kingdom’s premium varieties of jasmine rice, exporters said that inconsistent English to Khmer translations need to be corrected.</div>
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While the logo registers the product as Angkor in English, the word used in Khmer translates to jasmine, making it indistinguishable from other products, according to Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice.</div>
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He prefers the English packaging over the Khmer, but regardless of which name is used, it should be identical, he said.</div>
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“I welcome a brand name for our fragrant rice, but the meaning of the logo and name are different,” he said.</div>
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Moul Sarith, acting secretary-general for CRF, said the name Angkor Malis was selected after more than a year of close examination and numerous rounds of controlled impact studies.</div>
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“We decided that in English we would use Angkor because it was linked to our World Heritage site,” he said.</div>
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“Our market research experts concluded that Angkor scored much higher [than other names].”</div>
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He added that once the brand name receives trademark protection from the Ministry of Commerce, rice exporters will only be given licensing rights after they legally qualify.</div>
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“We have set up strict criteria for the usage of this brand name to make sure that the trademark is protected,” he said.</div>
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Eang Sophallet, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, said the brand name should reflect the achievements Cambodian rice has won on the world circuit.</div>
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“We have won the rice award three years in a row, the brand name should show this because that is how we built our reputation,” he said.</div>
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Other concerns raised by exporters included the fact that CRF had yet to allocate a dedicated budget for marketing the new brand name.</div>
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“In order to promote Angkor Malis, we need money for marketing. Most of our clients know that Cambodia’s best rice is jasmine rice, but they have never heard of this new brand,” said Kann Kunthy, chief executive of Battambang rice miller Brico.</div>
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“If we can promote Angkor Malis the right way, our exports will increase,” he said, adding that the government of Thailand spent vast amounts of money on promotion to earn its place.</div>

Angkor Malis brand name yet to satisfy

With the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) ready to adopt “Angkor Malis” in June as the official brand name for the Kingdom’s premium vari...

Gov’t calls for microfinance NGOs to register with NBC

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Title: Gov’t calls for microfinance NGOs to register with NBC
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

A government official lambasted the slow application rate for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate as microfinance lenders...

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A government official lambasted the slow application rate for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate as microfinance lenders, urging them to register with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC).</div>
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Interior Minister Sar Kheng made the statement at a recent workshop about the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations (LANGO), AKP reported.</div>
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According to the data the minister presented, only 155 of 620 NGOs registered with the Ministry of Interior have fulfilled the application requirements for the NBC to allow them to continue microfinance lending.</div>
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A registration crackdown began in February of last year, after the NBC and the Ministry of Economy and Finance issued a warning against the rise of unlicensed lenders, associations and NGOs. The announcement called for all lending operations to register or run the risk of a legal consequences.</div>
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Chea Serey, director-general of the NBC, told the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Post</em> that since the joint statement was issued, unlicensed and informal lenders have flocked to the central bank to apply for registration.</div>
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“[About] 300 informal lenders have applied to NBC to be registered following the joint statement,” she said, adding that 90 of them had received approval.</div>
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“We are currently looking into these applications and may decide to register, license or require the NGO to stop doing credit activities all together if they do not meet the criteria,” she said. For the criteria requirements, she referred the central bank’s prakas.</div>
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According to the prakas, Cambodian law only requires NGO lenders that have a loan portfolio of $25,000 or more, with $250 in deposits, to obtain formal recognition from the NBC. Those that have a loan portfolio of $250,000 or more, or $25,000 in deposits, must obtain a MFI license.</div>
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Hout Ieng Tong, president of the Cambodian Microfinance Association (CMA), encouraged NGOs lenders to register with the NBC.</div>
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“The MFI registration policy by the NBC plays an important role in lending operations,” he said, adding that once registered, lenders are protected by the law.</div>
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He added that current regulations require all credit operations – regardless of their size – to register.</div>

Gov’t calls for microfinance NGOs to register with NBC

A government official lambasted the slow application rate for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate as microfinance lenders...

Keeping bottled water clean

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Title: Keeping bottled water clean
Author: Unknown
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Access to clean drinking water has been an issue in developing countries throughout the world. In a country where 31 per cent of the rur...

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Access to clean drinking water has been an issue in developing countries throughout the world. In a country where 31 per cent of the rural population does not have access to clean drinking water, bottled water has become an increasingly high valued commercial product billed as having a spotless reputation.</div>
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Although the Ministry of Commerce could not provide a definitive number of trademarked brands, almost all of Cambodia’s water bottling companies siphon unprocessed water from local rivers or receive treated water from the Phnom Penh Water Authority.</div>
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However, even treated water can still run the risk of contamination. The Cambodian-owned Eurotech brand faced recent contamination challenges in March due to malfunctioning machinery.</div>
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The company has since recalled all of its contaminated products and is currently in the process of having its water tested through the Pasteur Institute, according to Jerry Thai, deputy director of Eurotech Import Export Company Ltd.</div>
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“This was a machine issue and it leaked out some dirt that did not show up during the filling process. It was not visible,” he said. “Later on you can see the [contamination], but during the time of production, you couldn’t.”</div>
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Although he said that the majority of the contaminated bottles did not make it outside the factory, the ones that did were immediately brought back to the factory.</div>
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Eurotech obtains its water from Phnom Penh Water Authority. The water is treated and filtered through reverse osmosis, and is certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).</div>
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However, the water provided to the city from the Phnom Penh Water Authority is already clean enough for people to drink, claims the utility company.</div>
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“If you compare my water to the bottled water, I still think that some is lower quality,” said Ma Noravin, director of production and distribution for Phnom Penh Water Authority.</div>
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“We have a process and method to treat water. We check our water quality three times a day to see if it has changed. Additionally, we take 70 samples from customers’ houses a week to check for purity,” he said.</div>
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The water provided to Phnom Penh and nearby towns, such as Takhmao, is pumped from the Sap, Bassac, and Mekong rivers. It is then treated with chlorine and polyaluminium chloride. The filtering process is based on national water standards and WHO standards used by the European Union and the United States of America.</div>
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While the majority of bottling companies receive its water from Phnom Penh Water Authority, there are some companies that have looked further afield and who have to take more preventative measures.</div>
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Kulara Water Co Ltd is currently the only distributor of mineral water in Cambodia. The company’s Eau Kulen branded water is filtered through sandstone and collected from the foot of Kulen Mountain located in the Banteay Srei district of Siem Reap province.</div>
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“For us there is no competition because we are in a different market,” said Jacques Marcille, managing director of Kulara Water Co Ltd. While he said that the company brands itself as selling natural mineral water, it does have to compete with expensive imports like Evian and Vital.</div>
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Like many of the other bottled water distributors in Cambodia, Eau Kulen is certified by international Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards. However, Marcille claims that when it comes to reducing the risk of contamination, the core issue revolves around bottling.</div>
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“Sometimes bottles [for other brands] are made in a factory far from the bottling plant and during transport, picks up contaminants,” he said. “We make the bottles in the bottling plant itself.”</div>
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Marcille also argued that while HACCP certifies that a factory’s machinery is clean, it does not mean that employees practice international standards.</div>
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“The best [water quality] control is to routinely do the process yourself,” he said, adding that is the best way to ensure that the entire process remains clean.</div>

Keeping bottled water clean

Access to clean drinking water has been an issue in developing countries throughout the world. In a country where 31 per cent of the rur...

Rice sector predicts a worrying trend

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Title: Rice sector predicts a worrying trend
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Although data for first four months of this year have shown a slight rise in rice exports, millers and exporters continue to raise conce...

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Although data for first four months of this year have shown a slight rise in rice exports, millers and exporters continue to raise concerns on the back of April’s rapid decline.</div>
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The most recent data on rice exports released by the Ministry of Agriculture stated that 39,550 tonnes of rice was exported in April of this year, more than 30 per cent less than the same time last year. In comparison, March exports only decreased by 14.5 per cent year-on-year.</div>
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Despite the total number of exports for the first quarter of this year showing an increase of 0.3 per cent, Kann Kunthy, CEO of Battambang rice miller Brico, said that April signified the beginning of a trend.</div>
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“The decrease in rice exports is the result of no [preventative] action being taken from the Cambodian Rice Federation or the government” he said, adding that millers had already sent a slew of recommendations that could alleviate the sector.</div>
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Kunthy added that without solutions to address the high electricity and transportation costs, Cambodian rice exports will continue to decrease.</div>
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“We have already done our duty so the only thing we can do is hope for a solution from the government,” he said. “At this point we cannot decrease our rice price any lower to make it competitive with declining regional prices.”</div>

Rice sector predicts a worrying trend

Although data for first four months of this year have shown a slight rise in rice exports, millers and exporters continue to raise conce...

Drought weighs on fishery production target

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Title: Drought weighs on fishery production target
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

While Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to increase fish production by 1.3 per cent this year, members of ...

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While Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to increase fish production by 1.3 per cent this year, members of fishery organisations believe that is an unlikely target as drought conditions have tapped out natural resources.</div>
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According to ministry’s annual report issued last week, fresh water fish production declined by more than 3 per cent last year. With production amounting to 487,905 tonnes in 2015, the ministry aims to increase that number modestly to 494,000 tonnes this year.</div>
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The annual report emphasised that the main challenges facing production include the burning of flooded conservation forests and illegal fishing. However, Minh Bunly, program coordinator for the Fishery Action Coalition Team, said that the main concern was that drought conditions have caused persistently low water levels that have reduced vital breeding grounds.</div>
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According to him, 70 per cent of prime fishery conservation areas are facing unseasonably low water levels.</div>
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“Based on the current situation, there is no hope of increasing this year’s production,” he said.</div>
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“If the government does not address the current challenges, things will remain the same or get worse.”</div>
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However, Eng Chea San, director general for the fishery administration at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that a small 1.3 per cent increase was achievable despite the challenges.</div>
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“It is hard to increase production,” he admitted. “But what we can at the very least maintain the current level of production, with the possibility of achieving 1 per cent growth.”</div>
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However, Bunly believes that fish production faces a far harsher reality then what the ministry’s official figures suggest.</div>
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According to figures presented by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and used by the World Food Programme, low water levels have led to a loss of 17 per cent in last year’s fish production.</div>
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“I believe that 17 per cent is a more accurate number than what the ministry published in their annual report. The fishing conditions are a lot worse than a 3 per cent drop, and many resources are at risk,” said Bunly.</div>
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Hel Tony, secretariat of Tonle Sap Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, declined to comment on the figures as he had yet to see the report.</div>

Drought weighs on fishery production target

While Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to increase fish production by 1.3 per cent this year, members of ...

Seeing green in every puddle

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Title: Seeing green in every puddle
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Rating 5 of 5 Des:

After plans for a dairy business went sour, a New Zealand couple invested in Cambodia’s mostly untapped spirulina market, setting up Glo...

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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">After plans for a dairy business went sour, a New Zealand couple invested in Cambodia’s mostly untapped spirulina market, setting up Global Superfoods, which produces spirulina powder and pills for the increasingly health-conscious local and international markets. The</em>Post<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">’s Ayanna Runcie met with Grant Catley, co-founder of Global Superfoods, at his spirulina farm in Kandal province to discuss the company’s production and growth plans.</em></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Why did you choose to set up spirulina production here?</strong></div>
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We came to Cambodia to start a dairy farm, but to be honest, that didn’t work out. We had invested in a company producing fresh Soya milk who also grew Spirulina on the side and when the dairy didn’t work, I got quite interested in it. I realised they weren’t doing it very well at the time, so I tried to implement a few changes, but they weren’t very keen on that, so my wife and I decided to do it ourselves properly. We had assistance from a French NGO who also supplied us with the culture. We had a Khmer partner who had this land. We came out and looked at it and it was ideal for what we wanted to do, and with plenty of room for expansion.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What is spirulina?</strong></div>
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It’s a single cell organism that grows in water. It basically takes in whatever you feed it, which is why all the pure water and minerals that you put in spirulina is food-grade tested with certificates so that we can guarantee the highest-quality product.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How do you grow spirulina?</strong></div>
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We get a little bit of spirulina and put it in a 20-litre bucket. It grows, gets quite dense and becomes 200 litres, and then we can transfer that into a big tank. And it grows very quickly, especially in these temperatures. Cambodia has almost ideal conditions to grow spirulina. The rainfall is quite low – an average of 1,200 millilitres, which is not a lot – and the temperature is generally in the 33 to 37 Celsius range, which is optimum growing temperature for spirulina.</div>
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In Myanmar, where they grow it, they can only grow it for about three months, and in northern Thailand it has about a four-month growing period because below 20 Celsius is too cold.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What processing does it require?</strong></div>
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We stir the spirulina during the daytime, but at night we don’t need to stir. The tank depth is 15 centimetres, but it only grows in the first two centimetres, and that’s why we need to agitate it, to circulate it so that it goes from the bottom to the top.</div>
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We add some minerals that control the high pH of 10.4, which is quite optimum. We also put in some other minerals, like potassium and calcium. Basically, we feed the spirulina what our bodies need. Spirulina is the highest form of protein that you can get per volume – it’s 60 to 65 per cent pill weight volume – and it has over a hundred essential minerals that the body needs.</div>
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We could harvest every day, but we do it every second day because the alternate days we make pills. We do everything from start to finish, because it gives us control and allows us to guarantee the quality of the product.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What is the market for your product?</strong></div>
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We distribute locally and we currently export to New Zealand, Australia and Canada. At the moment we are working with a potential offshore partner that will be able to get us into the rest of Europe and the Middle East, which we hope will be a big market for us because we are halal.</div>
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We are growing every month. We started selling 50 bottles a month and we are now up to over 200. At the moment we are only exporting 20 kilos a month, but it’s growing every month.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Do you plan to expand operations?</strong></div>
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Yes, we will be building some new tanks in the next two months. We have three tanks and will add eight more. At the moment, we have 240 square metres of production, and by the middle of next year we will have 2,200 square metres. And once we fill this land, we will buy more land. We have other spirulina-based products in the pipeline, but at this stage we are just sticking to what we’ve got. There are a lot of other things that we can do: shampoos, face washes, soaps, spirulina jellies, and spirulina rice crackers.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How do returns on spirulina compare to those of other agri-cultural crops?</strong></div>
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There aren’t many crops in the world that you can harvest every day. Rice you have to plant and wait for it to grow and if you have a problem in between, you might not get much rice. If you put it down to a dollar value per hectare it’s very high. I used to make a lot of dollar value off of my cows producing milk, but I had 170 hectares, while here I can produce the same amount money-wise in two hectares, so in that respect it’s a very good return.</div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This article has been edited for length and clarity.</em></div>

Seeing green in every puddle

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Metfone stake up for grabs: sources

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Viettel, the Vietnamese military-owned operator of Cambodia’s biggest telecom firm, Metfone, is looking to sell a stake in its Cambodia ...

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Viettel, the Vietnamese military-owned operator of Cambodia’s biggest telecom firm, Metfone, is looking to sell a stake in its Cambodia operation to raise capital for its other global ventures after the company reported its lowest growth in earnings since 2012, according to international media reports.</div>
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During a general shareholder meeting last week, the state-owned telecommunications giant reportedly announced that it was considering divesting from its operations in Cambodia and other overseas subsidiaries.</div>
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“The group is considering the sale of part of the holdings in these companies while they have good valuation. We will use the proceeds to acquire new businesses. So it does not conflict with our strategy of targeting a global presence,” the online financial news platform Deal Street Asia quoted an unnamed company representative as saying.</div>
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If Viettel goes ahead with the stake sale, the company would offer no more than 49 per cent of Metfone’s operations, leaving the Vietnamese generals with a controlling share, according to media reports. The equity sale would signal the company’s first retreat from a foreign market.</div>
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A Phnom Penh-based industry insider, speaking on the condition of anonymity yesterday, said Viettel has been quietly seeking investors to buy into its Cambodian operations for some time now.</div>
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“They have been trying to find investors for Metfone for a while,” the source said. “But their business is not doing too well, nor does anybody want to be a minor shareholder while the majority is held by the Vietnamese military.”</div>
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Metfone is Viettel’s largest operations outside of Vietnam, and claims to hold the biggest share of Cambodia’s mobile phone market, with upwards of 8 million subscribers. Metfone generated $256 million in revenue last year, according to one media source – about 40 per cent of Viettel’s overseas telecom turnover.</div>
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In April, Brand Finance, a London-based consultancy service, calculated that Metfone’s brand value had grown to $94 million last year, up nearly 10 per cent over the previous year.</div>
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Metfone’s parent company, however, has seen mixed results as it expands global operations. In 2015, Viettel Global – the group’s international investment unit – generated $660 million in sales revenue, while net profits slumped to $22 million – its lowest bottom line since 2012.</div>
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Nearly half of the losses were in Africa, where Viettel’s four subsidiaries experienced strong sales growth last year, but suffered $10.4 million in losses due to volatile foreign exchange markets in the region. The company also saw leaner earnings in its three Southeast Asian markets – Cambodia, Laos and East Timor – where net profits declined by 28 per cent last year to $5.5 million.</div>
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Nevertheless, Viettel is still trying to expand in the region and last month reportedly entered final negotiations to form a $1.5 billion joint venture with two companies in Myanmar to bid for the country’s fourth and last telecom licence.</div>
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Anthony Galliano, CEO of Cambodian Investment Management, said Viettel could be looking for an investor in Metfone as the company – which has built a strong ISP franchise and nationwide mobile network coverage in Cambodia – assesses the capital costs of further expansion.</div>
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“Metfone’s strategy, not unlike the parent’s international strategy, is total population and territory coverage for voice and data,” he explained. “In order to do this, the capital expenditure, including equipped base stations and tens of thousands of kilometres in fibre optic cable, is a massive investment.”</div>
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“The challenge in telecoms is rapidly depreciating equipment and investment demand in new technology to deliver fast data services to subscribers seeking high-speed internet delivery,” he continued.</div>
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Galliano said “it would be timely” for an outside investment in Metfone as the company faces the prospect of diminishing returns on investment.</div>
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“So it may be a matter of sell high, or at a high point, before the valuation goes south,” he said.</div>
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Neither Viettel nor Metfone could be reached for comment yesterday.</div>

Metfone stake up for grabs: sources

Viettel, the Vietnamese military-owned operator of Cambodia’s biggest telecom firm, Metfone, is looking to sell a stake in its Cambodia ...

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