Government
Provincial and local governments
Construction feud embroils local government in Ratanakkiri
The governor of Ratanakkiri’s Banlung town was sued on 18 November by a local resident and army veteran for allegedly seizing construction materials and violating private property rights without a court warrant. Kory Prel, 46, who served in the army and provincial police for more than 30 ...
Vietnam orders local governments to stop building extravagant offices for themselves
Vietnam has ordered local governments to suspend all of their plans for new offices before all costs and expenses are reviewed carefully. The Ministry of Construction will look into all the projects and any shortcomings will be reported and fixed to prevent wasteful spending, Deputy Prime ...
Cambodia's budget transparency at all-time low: report
The Cambodian government’s budget transparency score has fallen to its lowest measure on record, according to a recent survey, but officials remain optimistic that the score will improve in the future. Cambodia’s score of eight out of 100 in 2015’s Open Budget Survey put it near ...
New law to strengthen civil servant management in Laos
All Lao civil servants, including leaders will have new uniform regulations imposed on them if a newly drafted law on public service is promulgated. This is the perspective of Laos’ new proposed civil service management law drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is responsible for ...
Ho Chi Minh City businesses cry foul as tax refunds take unconscionably long
Deputy Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tuan has instructed tax offices in Ho Chi Minh City to review businesses’ applications for tax refunds and resolve possible problems that have been delaying payments. He issued the order at a meeting on 5 November after many businesses complained ...
35 percent of Lao budget for debt repayment
The Lao government has instructed central and local state organisations to use up to 35 percent of the annual total budget allocated to them to repay debt they have accumulated. The instruction was part of debt payment measures resolved by the annual government meeting where the ...
Ratanakkiri minorities say land stolen
Ethnic minorities in Ratanakkiri province have accused local authorities of selling community forest land to a provincial court official and threatening to put them in jail, according to a complaint filed on 27 October. The complaint was filed to the provincial office of rights group Adhoc ...
Anti-Corruption Unit says no evidence for Bavet checkpoint graft claims
Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has been unable to find evidence corroborating claims that a Health Ministry official has been demanding bribes to allow vehicles to cross the Bavet International Checkpoint in Svay Rieng province, it said in a report obtained on 13 October. Dated 9 October and ...
Hanoi lists 89 new tax defaulters in 'name and shame' strategy
With its recent name-and-shame policy proving to be successful, Hanoi’s tax office has released the names of another 89 businesses whose back taxes have amounted to nearly VND311.7 billion (US$13.78 million). Keep reading ...
CNRP promises not to remove civil servants if victorious
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy promised supporters in Kampong Cham province on 3 October that if his party comes to power, civil servants and soldiers can be certain that they will keep their jobs, and will be given raises. Speaking to hundreds of supporters in Srei Santhor district, ...