Cambodia Morning News For October 26

Kong Vibol: We might show leniency in retroactive tax haul
In response to allegations that the private sector in Cambodia is being unfairly treated on backdated taxes, the General Department of Taxation said yesterday it might show some leniency on the issue.
— Khmer Times

Hun Manet can be prime minister if he is elected: his father
Prime Minister Hun Sen added to speculation that his eldest son, Manet, is one day likely to succeed him as Cambodian leader by telling members of the Cambodian diaspora in Switzerland that “if he is elected, he can be prime minister”.
— The Nation

Technological start-ups find more investors
Cambodian technological start-ups are booming business, said a recent report on the Kingdom’s tech ecosystem prepared by Mekong Strategic Partners and Raintree Development.
— Phnom Penh Post

Japanese firm seeks Cambodian rice supplier
A Japanese firm is now scouring Cambodia for suppliers of fragrant rice, which it intends to ship home, where demand for Cambodian rice is on the rise, an official of the Cambodia Rice Federation said.
— Khmer Times

The Cambodian palm sugar farmers doing it greener and cleaner
A social enterprise in Cambodia is employing new techniques to help farmers make palm sugar in a more environmentally friendly and safe way, as well as getting them more bang for their buck
— SoutheastAsia Globe

Kep province welcomes new water treatment system
A new water treatment system, donated to local authorities by Malaysian firms, will enhance the quality of drinking water in the riverine city of Kep.
— Khmer Times

Hun Sen Seeks to Ease Rising Anti-Chinese Sentiment in Cambodia
Large numbers of Chinese workers have come to Cambodia to work on projects as China has strengthened its diplomatic and military ties with Beijing which has provided numerous grants and large military aid packages to Cambodia.
— VOA Cambodia

Facing deportation, Cambodian refugee who killed as 14-year-old seeks pardon
By his own account, Borey Ai was a 14-year-old gangster when he killed a woman during a robbery that netted about $300.
— NBC News

Information Ministry combats fake news
The Information Ministry yesterday called on journalists to combat fake news disseminated online during a workshop on “Combatting Fake News for Cambodian Journalists” in Phnom Penh.
— Khmer Times

China’s top political advisor meets senior Cambodian politician
China’s top political advisor Wang Yang on Thursday met with Samdech Say Chhum, president of Cambodia’s senate, vowing more cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
— Global Times

National budget to be discussed today
The Cabinet of Ministers will today deliberate the allocation of 2019’s national budget, which is to be approximately $6.44 billion, a seven percent increase when compared to this year’s.
— Khmer Times

JICA continues to aid the Kingdom
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide Cambodia a $30 million grant for the fourth phase of a flood protection project and canal and sewer system improvements in Phnom Penh.
— Phnom Penh Post

UK pledges $9 million for demining
The United Kingdom will provide more than $9 million in aid from this year to 2020 for demining operations to clear unexploded ordnance in Cambodia, UK Ambassador to Cambodia Tina Redshaw said on Wednesday.
— Khmer Times

Former Cambodian Parliamentarian for the Opposition Party Deceases
Cambodian parliamentarian Cheam Channy passed away on Thursday due to serious illness, according to Kem Sokha’s cabinet chief Muth Chantha earlier today on Facebook.
— Fresh News

No more stupas along riverbank: Pagoda
The Kdey Takoy pagoda committee yesterday announced that it will no longer allow the placement of new stupas along the Mekong river following the collapse of a riverbank last week that damaged a number of stupas.
— Khmer Times

METHANOL-LACED RICE WINE KILLS 3 AND HOSPITALISES 44 IN CAMBODIA
Two men and a woman died and 44 others have been admitted into hospital after drinking methanol-laced rice wine, Sambou district police chief Bun Chhoeun told Chinese news agency Xinhua.
— The Drink Business

Forum sheds light on rising RMB usage
The Chinese yuan is being used more extensively in dealings between Cambodian and Chinese firms to the detriment of the United States dollar, according to the Cambodian Central Bank.
— Khmer Times

Cambodia’s Coming AI Revolution
October 20 saw the launch of KOOMPI, a Cambodian “home-grown” laptop, at BarCamp ASEAN 2018, the annual regional expo for tech start-ups. The laptop is distinctive for running entirely on Open Source platforms so that production costs are kept low and the device is affordable, and so that owners without a background in computing can “hack” the platforms and become “super-users.”
— The Diplomat

Government to send workers to Kuwait
Cambodia will send about 5,000 workers to Kuwait for the first time in 2019, Minister of Labour Ith Samheng said on Wednesday.
— Khmer Times

Investigator: Dam Project Killing Dolphins, Hurting Fishing and Tourism Industries
A member of Cambodia’s Supreme Council for Recommendations on Wednesday told RFA’s Khmer Service that local authorities are utilizing legal loopholes to avoid adhering to regulations that would protect the biodiversity of the Mekong River.
— Radio Free Asia

Police officer guilty of fraud
Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday convicted a senior police officer in absentia to 18 months in jail for cheating a soldier out of $4,000 by promising he would get him a job.
— Khmer Times

Governor faces jail sentence for ‘infringement’
Anlong Veng district governor Hor Chin Virakyuth faces a jail sentence of between six and 24 months and a fine of between 1.5 and 25 million riel ($375-$6,250) if found guilty on charges of “infringement against ownership”.
— Phnom Penh Post

What modern cities can learn from ancient Angkor’s climate catastrophe
The lost city of Angkor, once a thriving metropolis, fell into ruin at the turn of the 14th century. Researchers now believe they know why the city was eventually abandoned – and warn that modern-day cities could fall victim to the same fate
— Southeast Asia Globe

Homes in Phnom Penh to be torn down
Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district administration will tear down illegal houses and shops built on the bank of Prek Thnot river, said its administrative director Mok Puthea.
— Phnom Penh Post

Mushroom poisoning kills man and sickens four family members
A man died and four other family members fell sick on Wednesday evening after consuming soup made from wild mushrooms in Preah Vihear province’s Kulen district.
— Khmer Times

Takeo women arrested for carrying marijuana
Police on Wednesday arrested two women for trafficking 11kg of dried marijuana in Takeo province.
— Phnom Penh Post

Feature photo VOA Khmer

This week’s Cambodia morning news feature photo acknowledges United Nations Day, October 24.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Cambodia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Cambodia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.