News

• 18 May, 2020
• Posted by: EuroCham Cambodia

With the COVID-19 situation continuing to evolve everyday in Cambodia, EuroCham will be regularly disseminating the official announcements from the Royal Government to ensure our network is updated as efficiently as possible. 

Due to the significant number of incoming announcements, we are unable to translate these in full so please refer to our summaries below and the attached official notices in Khmer.

Official Announcements: 08 - 18 May

(English summaries provided by EuroCham Cambodia, subject to corrections by relevant authorities)

1. Office of the Council of Ministers Press Release on the Results of Plenary Session of the Council of Ministers 

On 15 May, the Council of Ministers convened its plenary session, presided over by the Prime Minister. Following the meeting, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Law on Anti-Financing of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Terrorism, Mutual legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. In addition, the press release outlined the following:  

• The Royal Government permits the export of paddy rice, white rice, and fish from 20 May 2020. 
• Administration at sub-national level must check the hygiene of restaurants and suspend restaurants if they fail to follow the sanitary measures of the Ministry of Health.   
• Reopening school shall not be immediate due to the risk of spreading Covid-19 in the community. 

2. Phnom Penh Capital Administration Notification for Owners of Restaurants and Food Courts to be Cautious with the Spread of COVID-19

On 18 May, the Phnom Penh Capital Administration issued notification No. 042/20 to notify all owners of restaurants and food courts to follow the instructions from the Ministry of Health on preventing the spread of COVID-19. The owners shall prepare hand sanitizer, and check temperatures at entrances before allowing customers to enter their restaurant or food court. The physical distancing policy shall be implemented correctly following the instructions from the Ministry of Health. 

The Phnom Penh Capital Administration will temporarily shut down restaurants and food courts which do not follow this notification. 

3. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport Letter on Recommendations on School Reopening 

On 12 May, the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport sent letter No. 2215 to the Prime Minister on recommendations to delay the reopening of schools. Following the joint ministerial meeting led by the Minister of Health in response to COVID-19 and other requests by educational associations on reopening schools, the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport recommended that all types and level of educational institutions shall delay their reopening in order to monitor the situation of COVID-19 and to avoid community spread in case of a second wave of infections. However, the Minister may consider reopening school before 1st November 2020.  

This letter should be taken as recommendations from the Minister and the final directive is based upon the Prime Minister’s decision. 

4. The Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting to Review the Ongoing Preventative Measures in Response to the Spread of COVID-19  

On 12 May, the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat COVID-19 met to discuss the ongoing preventative measures in response to the spread of COVID-19. Following this meeting, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health said that the Committee will submit requests to the Royal Government to decide whether to open or keep certain businesses closed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Committee made suggestions regarding adjusting some of the preventative measures during the meeting. These included measures for family and individuals in the community; workplace; school; venues and other events such as clubs, KTV, religious gathering and other events; traveling and international checkpoints. 

5.  Ministry of Economy and Finance Announcement on Resuming White Rice Exports  

On 13 May, the Ministry of Economy and Finance informed the Cambodia Rice Federation that the Royal Government will allow the export of white rice by contract order from abroad to resume from 20 May 2020.  

6. Ministry of Economy and Finance Announcement on Resuming Personal Protective Equipment Exports 

On 13 May, the Ministry of Economy and Finance informed the Garment Manufacturing Association in Cambodia that the Royal Government supports and encourages garment manufacturers to produce all types of masks, medical products, and other personal protective equipment to supply domestic and export demand.   

7. Ministry of Tourism on Preparing Hotel and Tourism Accommodation for the Post-COVID 19 Recovery 

On 8 May, the Ministry of Tourism issued an announcement requesting all owners of hotels and tourism accommodation facilities to be ready  for the post-COVID-19 recovery by strengthening and improving the quality of services. The Ministry also encourages owners who have been operating for more than 10 years to obtain a better tourism rating by improving the quality of their accommodation. Owners can also learn more about the tourism rating system and pre-assessment through this website: www.cambodiatourismrating.org/kh 

8. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport Notification on Teaching Videos for the Basic Education Equivalency Programme and Literacy Programme 

On 18 May, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport issued notification No. 29 regarding the new teaching videos on the basic education equivalency programme and literacy programme, produced in cooperation with UNESCO. This is intended as additional support for self-study, literacy study and students who are required to stay at home during COVID-19. These videos will be aired from 01 June 2020 through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, and its E-Learning websites. 

9. Ministry of Commerce Notification on the Retail Price of Fuel 

On 18 May, the Ministry of Commerce issued a notification that the Royal Government has decided to decrease the retail price of fuel by 04 cent per litre with the support of fuel companies in Cambodia to ease the economic impact on the livelihood of citizens. From 16 until 31 May 2020, the price for normal gasoline decreased to 2500 Riels per litre while diesel price has decreased to 2300 Riels per litre.