Aid and development
EU funds asylum-seeking scheme in Thailand
The UN Refugee Agency has received 300,000 euros from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department to support the refugee status determination process for asylum-seekers in Thailand. There are currently more than 2,000 refugees and more than 6,000 asylum-seekers from nearly 50 countries living ...
Observers urge Govt to create new export markets, boost trade volume
A recent World Bank report says that trade growth in Myanmar could reduce poverty and boost prosperity, but local observers say in order for that to happen the government must implement economic policies that increase export markets. The Myanmar Diagnostic Trade Integration Study released last week by the ...
EU, SIDA offer €33.1M grant for budget reform
The European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency have agreed to provide a grant of €33.1 million to support the third phase of Cambodia’s Public Financial Management Reform Program, state news agency AKP announced on 24 June. Keep reading ...
Irrigation agricultural technology project boosts farmers' knowledge
Farmers have improved their methods of irrigation management and technique of rice products after the completion of a joint Japanese and Lao basic irrigation agricultural technology dissemination project recently. The project’s assessment meeting was held in Vientiane last week and was attended by the Irrigation ...
Proposal for training to enhance factory skills
Cambodia has appealed to Germany – a country renowned for its skilled technicians and engineers – to provide vocational training to support the Kingdom’s growing industrial sector, a Commerce Ministry official said on 24 June. In a meeting earlier this week, Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak ...
Cambodia’s solar sector set for bright future
The Kingdom’s ability to produce renewable energy boosted with $30m funding from Climate Investments Funds. With almost half the population of Cambodia without access to electricity, the announcement today of $30m in funding for renewable energy projects should come as welcome news. The $8.1-billion Climate Investments Funds, ...
No progress on new Vientiane-Champassak highway
One year has passed but the new Vientiane-Champassak highway survey and design has not progressed following a Chinese company signing an agreement with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. “We are now writing a letter to the company informing them that if they cannot perform ...
Businesses prefer Vietnam-EU FTA over TPP
When comparing Vietnam’s commitments within the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement and the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, businesses see bigger benefits in EVFTA, especially in government procurement. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, said it was not the initial intention of Vietnam to apply ...
PM challenges EU to follow through on threat to cut aid
Prime Minister Hun Sen on 13 June blithely brushed aside a recent threat from the European Parliament to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Cambodia over human rights abuses, challenging the body to follow through.“I am never afraid of China because Cambodia has ...
EU to start ASEAN aviation talks
The European Commission is planning to start negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on an aviation agreement soon, having received a mandate from EU transport ministers earlier this week. The EU is hoping to create new airline routes and new business opportunities for European ...