via Khmer NZ News Media
Cambodia’s National Anti-corruption Council elects its leaders
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:54 By Ek Madra DAP NEWS
PHNOM PENH, June 15, 2010 (DAP) – For the first time the Cambodia’s National Anti-corruption Council is officially established and voted on Tuesday to elect its president and vice president for a five-year term, a move aimed to fight graft which has been criticized by donors as a serious problem that affects every single person in the country.
The Southeast Asian nation’s legislative body adopted the anti-corruption law in March authorized the country to set up the anti-corruption mechanism to crack down the rampant corruption, which has been concerned by the country’s donors who injected Cambodia up to $1.1 billion early this month.
Top Sam, who represented the National Assembly, was elected as a President of the Council and Prak Sok, who represented the Senate, was elected as Vice-President.
Top Sam described the Tuesday event “as significant milestone in Cambodia”.
“We will use the anti-corruption law as legal tool to fight corruption,” he said after the closed door votes.
“You will wait and see the result we will achieve,” said Top Sam.
The Council has 11 members including its leaders. They represented the different government’s institutions: the Royal Palace, the senate, National Assembly, anti-corruption unit, Supreme Council of Magistracy, Cambodian Human Right Committee, National Auditing Authority, government, and others key institutions.
Ek Tha, a spokesman for the Office of the Council of Ministers, told reporters that “the election today showed another government’s strong commitment to fight corruption”.
Om Yentieng, head of the Anti-corruption Unit, said the National Anti-corruption Council has now 60 staff and another 60 people would be employed to work for the Council in the near future.
The National Assembly approved in March the anti-corruption law allowed the country to establish the mechanism of National Anti-corruption Council and the Anti-corruption Unit, although the opponents said the law is not transparent which could lead to the failure in tackling the corrupt acts.
In May, 2009 U.S. ambassador Carol A. Rodley said that corruption is a problem that affects every single person in Cambodia.
“According to various studies, corruption costs Cambodia up to $500 million per year in terms of forgone state revenue that could otherwise be spent on public services in education and health care and jobs for Cambodian youth,” said Rodley.
She said that $500 million is equivalent to the cost of constructing 20,000 six-room school buildings or the ability to pay every civil servant in Cambodia an additional $260 per month.
Cambodian officials rejected Rodley’s comment as unsubstantiated.
The Berlin-based Transparency International (TI), the global coalition against corruption which surveyed nearly 200 countries, has said in its Corruption Index (CPI) ranked Cambodia as one of the worst corrupt country in the world.
Japanese Ship KUNISAKI’s visit to Cambodia
Monday, 14 June 2010 12:45 DAP-NEWS
Japanese Ship “KUNISAKI” (JMSDF LST KUNISAKI) led by Captain Shunya Sasaki, Commander of Landing Ship Division One, will arrive at the Sihanoukville Port on June 15th with United States Navy Ship “Mercy” Hospital Ship under the Pacific Partnership 2010, the embassy of Japan said on Monday.
It added that doctors and members of the Japanese Self Defence Forces will conduct medical and cultural activities with the United States Navy and NGOs from June 15th to 28th, 2010, as part of Pacific Partnership 2010.
it noted that Pacific Partnership is a program organized by the United States with participation of various countries in Asia-Pacific region to conduct medical, civil engineering and cultural exchange activities in cooperation with NGOs.
The Government of Japan decided to participate in this program by sending JMSDF LST KUNISAKI to further strengthen relations with Asia-Pacific countries. Te crews from the ship has busy schedules with medical activities at Preah Sihanouk Provincial Hospital (from June 16 to 21) and at Andaung Thma School (from June 23 to 27), Surgery onboard Mercy. And also it shared the japanese Cultural activities on June 17th at 9:00 at Chea Sim Elementary School, June 24th at 9:00 at Sakura Gakuen Elementary School, Official events at the Old Jetty, Sihanoukville Port. It continued that it also has opening ceremony on June 16th (Wed.) at 10:00am, reception onboard JS “KUNISAKI” on June 26th (Sat.) at 6:30pm, and Closing ceremony on June 27th (Sun.) at 10:00am.
good rice selection increase yield up to 30 %
Monday, 14 June 2010 12:42 DAP-NEWS
Cambodia's agriculture and eudcation association on Monday appealed to local farmers to select good rice seed that will help increase rice product this year.
Whilst Cambodian farmers are starting their rice farming in this raining season, CEDAC finds that farmers still not yet understand well the importance of rice seed selection, the statement from association said.
Dr. Yang Saing Koma, CEDAC's President, said that with good rice seed selection, farmer can increase yield up to 30%.
As it is the right time for farmers to select rice seeds for their farming, CEDAC is calling for farmers and other stakeholders to promote rice seed selection amongst farmers so that the rice yield can be increased this year, it added.
last year, cambodia colected about 7 million tons of rice and surplus of over 3 million tons for export.
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