DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia's garment exports continue to rise, but mass fainting still concerns: ILO” plus 4 more

DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia's garment exports continue to rise, but mass fainting still concerns: ILO” plus 4 more

Cambodia's garment exports continue to rise, but mass fainting still concerns: ILO

Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:15 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The International Labor Organization's Better Factories Cambodia (ILO-BFC) released its six-month report on Wednesday, saying that the country's garment exports are steadily on the rise, but mass fainting remains challenges for workers.

According to the 28th ILO-BFC report from November 2011-April 2012, Cambodian garment industry grew by 25 percent to 4.24 billion U.S. dollars in 2011 and the trend continued with an additional 17 percent rise in the first quarter of 2012; however, mass fainting is still a challenge for workers.

During the report period, the garment sector experienced 16 fainting incidents in nine factories, the report said, adding that the causes of accidents could be poor nutrition, excessive overtime, high heat levels, poor ventilation, and mass psychogenic illness (MPI).

The kingdom has some 320 factories employing 356,610 workers, with 90 percent of them women. According to the report, from November 2011-April 2012, the garment factories saw 27 strikes, involving 36,053 workers, doubling the number in the same period last year.

"Common reasons for strikes were calls for increased wages and benefits and allegations of union discrimination," it said.

Garment industry is the country's largest income maker. The minimum wage for a worker is 66 U.S. dollars a month.

Malaysia sets to boost trade, investment ties with Cambodia: ambassador

Posted: 20 Jun 2012 09:12 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia is set to further enhance bilateral ties with Cambodia in the fields of trade and investment for the two countries' mutual interests, Malaysian ambassador to Cambodia Datuk Pengiran Mohd Hussein Bin Datuk Pengiran Haji Mohd Tahir Nasruddin, said Thursday.

He said one of the activities to promote the ties is trade fairs, and Malaysia will organize a trade exhibition in Phnom Penh on July 11-13 with the participation of some 22 Malaysian companies.

"Cambodia continues to be one of Malaysia's close trading partners in the ASEAN region thanks to good and longstanding diplomatic ties between the two governments," he told reporters.

He said the bilateral trade volume was 325 million U.S. dollars in 2011, up 42 percent from a year earlier, and during the first 4 months of this year, the trade volume continued to rise by an additional 4 percent to 104 million U.S. dollars from 100 million U.S. dollars in the corresponding period last year.

Cambodia's main export items to Malaysia are crude rubber, cereal, textile and clothing, metal products and machinery parts and appliances. Meanwhile, Malaysia's export items to Cambodia were textile and clothing, metal products, processed food, chemical substances, food and beverage and tobacco.

On the investment side, Malaysia's investment in Cambodia last year was 235 million U.S. dollars, up 41 percent from a year earlier, according to a report provided by the Malaysian embassy. The figure placed Malaysia second to Vietnam among top ASEAN investors in Cambodia in 2011.

Cambodian, Vietnamese PMs to inaugurate border pillar over weekend

Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:15 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung will jointly preside over the inauguration ceremony of the Boundary Pillar No. 314 on June 24, the kingdom's foreign ministry said in a press release Thursday.

The pillar is located at the terminus of the land boundary between Cambodia's Kampot province and Vietnam's Kien Giang province, said the press release.

"The inauguration is a part of joint activities to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Cambodia and Vietnam and the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Year 2012," it said.

After the inauguration, the two prime ministers will also co- chair the third Cambodia-Vietnam Conference on the Investment Promotion, which will be held at Ha Tien, the capital city of Kien Giang province.

During the conference, the two premiers will witness the signing of the protocol on the amendment of an agreement on the promotion and protection of investment between governments of the two countries.

Cambodia shares 1,270-km-long border with Vietnam to the east. About 80 percent of the border demarcation has been completed so far and the two countries vowed to complete the remaining part by the end of this year.

China, Russia vow to cement inter-party cooperation

Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:14 PM PDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Visiting senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) He Guoqiang on Wednesday arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, where he met with Vyacheslav Makarov, chairman of the legislative assembly of the city, on regional cooperation between the two countries.

On Tuesday, He met in Moscow leaders of major Russia political parties on strengthening inter-party cooperation.

When meeting with Lyudmila Shvetsova, deputy speaker of the State Duma from the United Russia party, He said China is willing to make joint efforts with Russia in promoting bilateral ties.

"The United Russia party, as the most significant political power in Russia, has played an important role in maintaining the stability in the country, developing economy, improving people's living standard, among others," said He, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.

China attaches great importance to exchanges and cooperation with the ruling United Russia party, He said, adding that recent years have witnessed fruitful achievements in the relations between the CPC and the United Russia, as a multi-level exchange mechanism has been established.

"China will further its ties with the United Russia, sharing experiences in governance and exploring a development path in line with the national conditions of the two countries to promote economy while improving people's living standard," he said.

Shvetsova said cooperation between Russia and China, as strategic partners, in the Asia Pacific and international affairs has been very close in the past years, playing an important role to peace in the region and the world. United Russia would like to further exchanges with the CPC to promote bilateral relations.

He Guoqiang also held talks with Ivan Melnikov, deputy speaker of the State Duma from the Communist Party.

The CPC has always cherished its friendship with Russia's Communist Party, which has offered great support to China on issues that pertain to China's core interests, he noted, pledging that the CPC would further its ties with Russia's Communist Party to advance China-Russia relations to a new high.

Melnikov said his party attaches great importance to the Russia- China comprehensive strategic cooperation and partnership, adding that Russia's Communist Party will actively implement cooperation agreements with the CPC to boost inter-party relations.

He arrived in Moscow on Monday to start his official visit to Russia, the final leg of his four-country visit, which has taken him to the Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Oil prices in Cambodia decline nearly 10 pct in recent weeks

Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:14 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's oil prices have declined by 9.5 percent in the last four weeks thanks to the drop in the international markets, said an importer on Wednesday.

According to a daily report of the Commerce Ministry, a liter of premium gasoline goes for 5,200 riel (about 1.27 U.S. dollars) on Wednesday, down 9.5 percent from 5,750 riel (about 1.41 U.S. dollars) fours weeks ago.

Bin May Mialia, the commercial manager for Thai-based PTT Oil Company, said that oil prices in the country had been gradually slashed since mid-May in response to the international decline in oil prices. "As Cambodia imports 100 percent of oil, the prices are fluctuated in accordance to the international markets,"he said.

On Wednesday, a barrel of crude oil costs 84 U.S. dollars in the international markets, down 11.5 percent from 95 U.S. dollars a month ago.

Cambodia has purchased petroleum from Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. Last year, this Southeast Asian nation spent about 1.38 billion U.S. dollars in purchasing some 1.46 million tons of petroleum, according to a report of the Commerce Ministry.

During the first four months of this year, the country spent 619 million U.S. dollars in purchasing 612,455 tons of petroleum, the report added.

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