Wednesday, 7 July 2010

The Phnom Penh Post News in Brief


via Khmer NZ
Building permits: Official cites ‘chaos’ in construction

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 Soeun Say

Building permits

THE government aims to reduce “chaos” caused by illegal buildings after seeing a slight rise in prohibited construction last year, the director of the Land Ministry’s construction department said yesterday.

Statistics released yesterday by the Ministry of Land show 755 illicit buildings went up last year, a 2.3 percent increase compared to 2008.
Construction Department Director Lao Tip Seiha said those who built without permission had made a mess of the Cambodian construction sector and caused a loss in profits.

“It’s left the urban planning process in chaos,” he said. Cambodia’s increasing population means that people wanted to build more new houses, but some didn’t know how to apply for permission, he added.

Chhim Chan Virak, project manager and architect for Canadia Bank’s Mekong Condos, said illegal projects could harm buyers because of a lack of quality control.

Brenntag takes over wing of East Asiatic

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 Jeremy Mullins

GERMAN chemical distribution giant Brenntag has purchased East Asiatic Company’s industrial ingredients wing, including its Cambodian operations, for more than US$200 million. Danish firm EAC said in a press release that its Industrial Ingredients operations had been sold because they had not reached a scale sufficient to compete in an increasingly consolidated sector.

China asks Cambodians to attend joint trade show

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 Chun Sophal

CHINA was encouraging Cambodian representatives to attend the seventh China-ASEAN trade expo, to be held in Nanning in October, the expo’s vice secretary general Nong Rong said.

Philippine trade fair to open at InterContinental

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 May Kunmakara

THE first Philippines Trade and Investment Mission to be held in the Kingdom kicks off Friday in a bid to boost trade and investment between the two nations. The two-day event will see Philippines’ produce on display from July 9 to 10 at the capital's InterContinental Hotel.

Driving range to open in capital in September

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 Soeun Say

A US$1 million golf driving range will open in September as part of the Overseas Cambodia Investment Cooperation’s Diamond Island Development project in Phnom Penh, according to the company architect and project manager Touch Samnang. Prices for its use have yet to be set.

Vietnamese firms plan Phnom Penh expo

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 May Kunmakara

MORE than 150 Vietnamese companies are expected at a five-day expo on Diamond Island, Phnom Penh, later this month. The Ho Chi Minh City Expo 2010 will run from July 15 to 19 and is aimed to help Cambodia and Vietnam reach a US$2 billion bilateral trade target this year.

SECC opens search for cash settlement agent

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:00 Nguon Sovan

THE Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia will start to receive applications for accreditation for a cash settlement agent, it was announced yesterday. According to a prakas, or edict, the applicant must be a commercial bank and will be required to pay an annual fee of 40 million riels (US$9,500). The application deadline is August 15.

Elephants set for travel

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:02 Sam Rith

CAMBODIA is to officially hand over two elephants to South Korea today, a move one official said was intended to express Prime Minister Hun Sen’s appreciation of the two countries’ friendship.

Chheng Kim Sun, director of the Forestry Administration, said the elephants would be given to South Korea during a ceremony at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Kandal province.

“This is the first time we have offered elephants to South Korea,” he said, and added that a sign would be displayed at the zoo stating that the pachyderms “are a present from Samdech Hun Sen to South Korea for friendship and for all children”.

Preparations on track for Asia party summit

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:02 Dan Pordes

FOLLOWING three days of briefings, politicians from South Korea, Pakistan and the Philippines said yesterday that preparations were on course for a gathering of Asian political parties set to be held later this year in Phnom Penh.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, secretary general of the Pakistan Muslim League, said at a press conference held at the Council of Ministers that Cambodia’s experience with war and reconciliation made it a natural candidate for an event marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties.

“Cambodia today is far cry from what it was, and their policy of reconciliation could be a model for others, particularly in Afghanistan,” he said.

The two-day event – scheduled for December 2 and 3 – is set to include meetings of various groupings within ICAPP, which encompasses 310 political parties from more than 50 countries, as well as discussions with representatives of Latin American and Caribbean countries belonging to the the Cocoa Producers Alliance.

Sayed said it would result in a “Declaration of Phnom Penh”, that he said would address the economy, the environment and energy issues.

“We see these as being a roadmap for the solutions to problems in Asia, a policy prescription for Asian governments,” he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen is set to preside over a portion of the programming.

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