News

• 24 July, 2020
• Posted by: EuroCham Cambodia

With the COVID-19 situation continuing to impact 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: 17 - 24 July

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

1. Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Survey on Living Conditions and the Impact of COVID-19 on the Garment, Textile and Footwear Employees/Workers in 2020 

On 17 July 2020, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training notified that the General Secretariat of the National Council on Minimum Wage will conduct a survey on living conditions and the impact of COVID-19 on garment, textile, and footwear employees/workers in 2020. It will be carried out between 17 and 31 July on a random sample of employees selected in Phnom Penh and the provinces. 

2. Ministry of Tourism Notification on Safety Measures for Khmer New Year Holiday from 17-21 August 2020 

On 21 July, the Ministry of Tourism instructed their municipal and provincial tourism departments to implement measures to ensure safe travel and prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic during the substitute Khmer New Year holiday, as follows: 

• Implement safety measures for tourism services including accommodation, restaurants, land and waterway transportation, tourist resorts and communities; 
• Disseminate the tourism safety measures to tour operators and business owners; 
• Cooperate with operators to strengthen tourism services and products, enhance food hygiene, and maintain reasonable fee for tourism products and services; 
• Cooperate with local authorities to ensure safety measures at entertainment and coastal sites. 

3. Electricite du Cambodge Letter on Rolling Out Electricity Tariff Reduction Plan for Agricultural Sector  

On 15 July, Electricite du Cambodge informed the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries about the implementation of its electricity fee reduction plan. According to the letter, Electricite du Cambodge requested the Ministry to disseminate and encourage consumers in the agricultural sector to implement electricity tariff reduction and preference electricity usage plans while pumping water at night.

4. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport Press Release on Digital App for Distance Learning  

On 16 July, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, in cooperation with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, introduced a digital application to support students with their distance learning. The app provides reader-friendly video content on different subjects for high school students, grades 9 through 12. The students can download the teaching videos at a high speed. More interestingly, they can use this app for free thanks to the collaboration between network operators and internet service providers. 

5. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Instruction on the Establishment and Strengthening of Agribusiness Groups, Producer Groups and Agricultural Communities

On 21 July, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries notified their director of programs, head of units, and director of the municipal and provincial departments to urgently implement some necessary measures to solve issues resulting from the lack of market opportunities for the increasing agricultural and food production. The instructions are as follows: 

• Create more agribusiness groups, producer groups, and agricultural communities; 
• Continue to implement production business plan to be in line with the actual demand; 
• Strengthen cooperation with all stakeholders to establish and implement contract farming; 
• Create markets for farmers to sell their products as part of the solution to address the market issues;  
• Consider financing and providing technical training for agribusiness groups, producer groups, and agricultural communities.

6. National Bank of Cambodia Clarification on Foreign Exchange Reserve  

On 23 July, the National Bank of Cambodia issued a clarification that Cambodia possesses 19.5 Billion US Dollars in foreign exchange reserves, which are invested in strong foreign exchange and gold. Currently, the National Bank of Cambodia holds 36.5 tons of gold, 12.4 of which are heritage from the pre-war era deposited in Switzerland. 14.1 tons are deposited in the Bank of England, and 10 tons are kept in Cambodia. 

7. Ministry of Justice Prakas on Preah Sihanouk Court of Appeal

On 21 July, the Ministry of Justice issued the Prakas to open a new Court of Appeal in Preah Sihanouk province. This Court of Appeal will commence work on 1 September 2020. It has jurisdiction over the appeal cases from four provinces, including Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Kep, and Kampot.

8.  Ministry of Health Instruction on Mental Health Protection during the Spread of COVID-19 

On 21 July, the Ministry of Health issued an instruction on mental health protection amid the spread of COVID-19, due to the huge impact on public health and the economy. According to the United Nations report on COVID-19 and the need for Action on Mental Health, the rates of depression and anxiety disorders have increased threefold, whilst alcohol and drug use have increased by 20 percent in the group of people between 15 and 49 years old. 

The instruction outlined that mental health problems can be caused by concerns about the health impact from COVID-19, isolation from friends, reduction of community relations, and the loss of income. People are also advised to consult with a doctor if their increased stress level occurs for more than two weeks. 

9. Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Notification on the Provision of Subsidised Allowances to Suspended Employees in the Garment Sector (Round 15)  

On 24 July, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training confirmed that 7,277 suspended employees from 7 enterprises and factories of the garment sector will receive a message from Wing (Cambodia) Specialised Bank about the subsidised allowance. Employees can withdraw the allowance at any Wing branch by bringing along their Khmer ID card and phone number. No service fee is required for withdrawal.