INDEX

1. Cambodia to Export One Million Tons of Rice by 2015

2. Government May Follow Rice Goal with One for Rubber

3. Cambodia Inaugurates Kamchay Hydropower Plant

4. Inauguration of National Roads in Preah Vihear Province

5. Cambodia's Export Jump 44%

6. Cambodia Hosts International Conference on Landmines

7. Cambodia Starts Large-Scale Road Construction After Flood Devastation

8. Cambodia Launches National Social Protection Strategy

9. Tourism Figures Continue to Climb

10. Cambodia to Export Rice to Philippines

11. IMF Puts 2011 Growth Rose at 7.5 Percent

12. More Assistance to Landmine Clearance in Cambodia

13. ‘Good Example': US Praises Trafficking Progress

14. Cambodia, US Start Another Joint Exercise to Boost Military Ties

15. Cambodia Hosts 18th ASEAN Regional Forum

16. Cambodia Exports US$171 Million Worth of Rubber Latex

 

 

Cambodia to Export One Million Tons of Rice by 2015

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 16th Government-Private Sector Forum, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said we have determined to use 2015 as a base year in order to promote the paddy production to more than 4 million tons including export of at least 1 million ton of milled rice and make Cambodia's milled rice internationally recognized, reported AKP on 23 November 2011.

In 2010, Cambodia has a total of 2.79 million hectares of paddy plantation, in which 2.77 million hectares have produced 8.25 million tons of paddy yield, an increase of 8.75 percent if compared with 2009, he said.

The export of rice has increased vigorously since 2009 due to the increase in food prices and the open up of markets in European Union, in particular after the launch of Policy Document on the Promotion of Paddy and Rice Export of the Royal Government.

In 2009, the export of milled rice increased by 236 percent if compared with 2008. In 2010, export of rice was 51,000 tons compared to 15,000 tons in 2009. As of June 2011, export of rice has increased to 85,000tons.

The Royal Government has invested US$101.43 million in 2009 and US$188.79 million in 2010 in the continued expansion of irrigation. As of June 2011, the Royal Government has made an additional investment of US$220 million.

For the implementation of measures for paddy collection and processing, the Royal Government has doubled the money of Agriculture Support and Development Fund from the initial fund of US$18 million to US$36 million. This fund is managed by the Rural Development Bank, and the Bank has provided credits to 251 Rice Millers Associations in 10 provinces.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance has established Credit Guarantee Scheme with an amount of US$25 million to encourage commercial banks to provide loans for paddy collection and processing. Also, the Ministry has signed agreements on financing cooperation and on risk sharing in agriculture and agro-industry management with the World Bank and International Financial Cooperation (IFC) with an amount of US$25 million to promote the provision of loans to agriculture projects such as paddy-milled rice.

 

 

Government May Follow Rice Goal with One for Rubber

The Cambodian government considered setting rubber production and exportation goals similar to its milled rice objective set for 2015, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post on 25 November 2011 as saying during a speech to government and public-sector working groups.

“Agriculture is potentiality very big. Now we just issued a rice policy target, and in the next few years we will probably set up a rubber production promotion and export policy because we have huge increases in plantations,” the premier said on 23 November at the Council of Ministers.

Mong Retthy, president of agriculture firm Mong Retthy Group, said he supported the policy given rapid growth in the Kingdom's rubber production, as well as increased global demand for the commodity.

“If the government released the policy, I think the sector would improve very fast,” Mong Retthy said, adding that his group has 2,000 hectares of rubber plantation in Sihanoukville province.

Mak Kim Hong, president of Cambodia Rubber Association and owner of Chhub Rubber Plantation in Kampong Cham province, said a rubber export goal could attract more investment.

Cambodia's natural rubber exports increased by 67 per cent, hitting 35,075 tonnes during the first 9 months of the year, Ministry of Commerce data showed.

At the beginning of the year, Cambodia had about 181,400 hectares of rubber plantation with plans to plant 300,000 by 2020, according Ly Phalla, director general of the General Department of Rubber Plantations.

 

 

Cambodia Inaugurates Kamchay Hydropower Plant

The 193.2 MW-Kamchay Hydropower Plant, which is located in Kampot province, about 148 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh capital city, was inaugurated on 07 December 2011, reported AKP.

“We believe that the Kamchay hydropower plant will be a great boost of our power supply capacity to serve the needs of our socio-economic activities,” Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said.

The prime minister called the inauguration a “historic event” that will help reduce the cost of electricity in his country, where only about 15 percent of households have access to electrical power.

The Kamchay Hydropower Plant, the first major hydropower plant in the country, is invested by Sino-Hydro Corporation from the People's Republic of China in the form of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), with the amount of US$280.54 million investment.

 

 

Inauguration of National Roads in Preah Vihear Province

The inauguration of a 110-kilometer portion of National Road No62 from Tbeng Meanchey to the foot of Preah Vihear Mountain and the portion of National Road No210 from Srayang Koh Ker to Tnal Bot village was held on 13 December 2011 in Preah Vihear province, reported AKP. portion of National Road No62 have been built under the soft loan from China and the Cambodian government's budget at the,

Both roads have been built 45 months from December 2008 to June 2011, with a total cost of over US$47.51 million, Minister of the Public Works and Transport Tram Iv Teak said.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen highlighted the importance of the roads, saying that they are strategic roads connecting Preah Vihear province to other provinces, facilitating traveling and boosting the tourism sector.

 

 

Cambodia's Export Jump 44%

Cambodia's total exports rose more than 40 per cent year-on-year through October, carried by strong growth in agriculture shipments, reported the Phnom Penh Post on 25 November 2011.

Total exports reached US$4.05 billion in the first 10 months of 2011 compared with $2.82 billion during the same period last year, an increase of 44 per cent, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

Agricultural exports hit $330 million, more than doubling year-on-year, according to the data. Garment exports totalled $3.47 billion, increasing about 34 per cent. Trade preferences, including duty-free treatment, on garment exports to the European Union accounted for a 60 per cent jump in garment shipments to countries in the union.

Garment exports to the United States grew by about 10 per cent, hitting nearly $1.7 billion by the end of October, according to ministry data.

It was trade preferences in Europe, coupled with new markets in China and Japan, that pushed export growth through the 10-month period, Ministry of Commerce secretary of state Ok Boung said.

Recent agricultural exports show progress toward the government's goal of exporting 1 million tonnes of milled rice by 2015, he claimed.

Support from the government in reducing paperwork and unnecessary fees has made Cambodia's investment environment more attractive, Nguon Meng Tech, director general of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce claimed.

 

 

Cambodia Hosts International Conference on Landmines

The first day of an international conference on the banning of landmines opened in Phnom Penh on 28 November 2011 with a rare address by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, who described the diplomatic meeting as a “golden opportunity” and a “springboard” to a mine-free world, reported the Phnom Penh Post.

“I extend my gratitude to all foreign experts, our compatriots and especially those deminers who risk their lives. However, greater commitment and further dedication is needed to complete the mission as soon as possible,” the King said via video tape to the crowd of more than 1,000 delegates at the 11th annual Meeting of the States Parties

The formal announcement of Cambodian Secretary of State Prak Sokhonn as president of the 11th Meeting of the States Parties has made the first time a Cambodian has held the position.

Prak Sokhonn, who is vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, said his main goal over the next year would be to “push for compliance and implementation of the convention”, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Also known as the Ottawa Treaty, the 1997 Convention additionally calls for its signatories to achieve mine-free status within 10 years and to provide “adequate” assistance to mine victims.

During meeting's proceedings, Finland announced it would accede to the Convention, becoming the 159th state to do so, and Burundi, to much applause, declared it had removed all anti-personnel mines from its borders.

Phnom Penh, which is playing host to the 11th annual Meeting of the States Parties for the first time in the conference's history, provided a poetic backdrop for many speakers, who described the Kingdom as the “cradle of the mine-ban movement”.

 

 

Cambodia Starts Large-Scale Road Construction After Flood Devastation

Cambodia simultaneously began on 01 December 2011 to construct 19 new rural roads with a total length of 505 kilometers in seven provinces after they were damaged by the recent floods, according to Xinhua.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the construction project in Pursat province in western Cambodia, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said that the floods were over and now it was the time for post-flood rehabilitation.

The construction will take four years to complete by turning those damaged gravel roads to asphalted ones with the estimated cost of USD 68.5 million.

Cambodia had suffered the worst flooding in more than a decade in recent months. The floods have affected 1,970 kilometers of roads and about 660 kilometers have been damaged.

 

 

Cambodia Launches National Social Protection Strategy

Cambodia officially launched on 05 December 2011 the National Social Protection Strategy for the Poor and Vulnerable, aimed at protecting the poorest and most disadvantaged against chronic poverty and hunger, shocks, and destitution, reported Xinhua.

The strategy, which will be implemented until 2015, would address the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable in situation of emergency and crisis, said the government's press release. It would reduce the poverty and vulnerability of children and mothers and enhance their human development.

Speaking at the launch at the Peace Palace, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said the country has seen significant progress in reducing poverty rate in last decade--the national poverty rate had dropped from 34.7 percent in 2004 to 30.1 percent in 2007 and to 25.8 percent last year.

"The rate of poverty reduction drops about 1.2 percent per year," he said. "We hope that Cambodia will be able to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by reducing the poverty rate to 19.5 percent by 2015."

The premier noticed that despite declining poverty rate, the gaps between the rich and the poor and inequality between rural and urban areas are still challenging issues.

Meanwhile, Douglas Broderick, resident coordinator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to Cambodia, said it was very important and timely to lay out the strategy in protecting Cambodia's most vulnerable, particularly women and children, by providing them access to essential services, especially during an emergency and crisis.

 

 

Tourism Figures Continue to Climb

Foreign tourist arrivals in the Kingdom increased by more than 15 per cent between January and October compared to the same period in 2010, reported the Phnom Penh Post on 06 December 2011 by basing on the Ministry of Tourism's data.

Officials attributed the arrival of 2.3 million foriegn visitors during the first 10 months of the year to the increasing popularity of seaside and mountain locations alongside Cambodia's traditional attractions such as Angkor Wat. Some 2.1 million came to Cambodia in 2010, according to ministry data.

“We will see the current 15 per cent increase maintained until the end of the year, with 2.8 million [foreign] visitors coming,” Kong Sophearak, director of the Ministry of Tourism Department of Statistics and Tourism Information, said.

 

 

Cambodia to Export Rice to Philippines

Domestic milled-rice wholesaler Mega Green Imex has inked a deal with a Philippine partner to send thousands of tonnes of the product to the Kingdom's ASEAN neighbour early next year, reported the Phnom Penh Post on 08 December 2011.

Mega Green Imex had signed an export agreement worth US$21 million with Philippines-based All Asia Encounter Trade in September, Mega Green managing director Renne Outh said yesterday.

“The Philippines is the biggest milled-rice importer in the world: three million tonnes every year,” Outh said, adding “If we can get the Philippines as a market for our milled rice, it will be very good for us.”

Mega Green Imex will begin delivery from the end of February next year, according to Renne Outh.

The company already exported rice to the European Union, Russia and the United States, and had the capacity to supply 200,000 tonnes a year, he said.

 

 

IMF Puts 2011 Growth Rose at 7.5 Percent

Cambodia's economic growth rate is expected to reach 7.5 percent, the International Monetary Fund said on 08 December 2011Thursday, according to VOA.

Growth was bolstered by strong garment exports, increased tourism and a slowly recovering real estate sector, IMF said in a statement. Agriculture was strong in the first three quarters of the year, it added.

The Washington-based fund's predictions came in a statement after an annual consultation with Cambodia on its economy, reported AP.

Cambodia enjoyed rapid growth of more than 9 per cent between 2000-2007, the highest of any low-income country in Asia, but it was hit hard by the global economic crisis, said AP, adding that GDP in 2010 grew by less than 5 per cent.

 

 

More Assistance to Landmine Clearance in Cambodia

The government of New Zealand decided to provide US$1.05 million to clear landmines in the northwestern part of Cambodia, said a press release issued on 02 December 2011, the last day of the 11 th Meeting of the States Parties (11MSP) of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention by the New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines (CALM), reported AKP.

Meanwhile, at a press conference on the sidelines of the 11MSP, H.E. Alexander Kmentt, Director for the Disarmament, Austrian Foreign Ministry, also announced the pledge made by the Austrian government of Euro 400,000 over the next two years for mine clearance in Cambodia.

Ms. Melissa Sabatier, United Nations Development Program's Mine Action Advisor said at the press conference that Spain also promised to support the mine action in Cambodia.

Spain will continue to support the mine clearance and victim assistance in three provinces – Kratie, Kampong Cham and Svay Rieng, she added.

 

 

‘Good Example': US Praises Trafficking Progress

The United States State Department recently provided an encouraging assessment of Cambodia's human trafficking record in order to clarify Congressional testimony given by one of its officials in October, reported the Phnom Penh Post on 06 December 2011.

Joe Yun, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State within the bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said before a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs sub-committee that Cambodia was a regional example of improved efforts to combat trafficking.

The State Department's reply on November 23 to Congressman Ed Royce cites recent raids against labour recruitment firms and Prime Minister Hun Sen's October sub-decree suspending migration to Malaysia for domestic work as evidence of “progress”.

 

 

Cambodia, US Start Another Joint Exercise to Boost Military Ties

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and U.S. Marines have jointly participated in a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise, taking place from 12 to 18 December 2011 in the vicinities of Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, AKP news agency reported, citing a press release from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.

The joint exercise was made just days after a similar one ended last Friday (09 December 2011) between Cambodia's military police and US marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

“This exercise serves as another example of how U.S. and Cambodian forces can work together, increase each other's cultural understanding, enhance capabilities, and improve coordination, while providing services to areas and individuals in need,” said Jeff Daigle, U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires, a.i.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Cambodian armed forces, while also improving the ability of Asia-Pacific nations to work together effectively to provide relief and assistance in the event of natural disasters and crises, added the press release.

 

 

Cambodia Hosts 18th ASEAN Regional Forum

Cambodia on 7-9 December 2011 hosted the 18th meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Support Group on Confidence-Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy to boost political and security cooperation across Asia Pacific, reported AKP on 13 December.

Representatives from 27 countries and the ASEAN Institute of Strategic and International Studies and the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific participated in the regional forum co-chaired by Cambodia and New Zealand.

The forum entertained exchange of views relating cross-border crimes and terrorism, disaster management cooperation, and reduction of nuclear weapons and arms.

Plan of actions have been agreed to address the said issues.

A follow up gathering will be done in New Zealand in April 2012 where progress will be consolidated for the 19th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in July.

 

Cambodia Exports US$171 Million Worth of Rubber Latex

In the first ten months of this year, Cambodia exported US$171 million worth of rubber latex, an increase by 170 percent if compared with the same period last year, Ministry of Commerce's statistics showed.