AKP - Agent Kampuchea Press

via CAAI

Cambodia’s Appeal for National and International Contributions to Help the Victims

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- The Royal Government of Cambodia has appealed to charitable people, both national and international, for their financial or material contributions in order to help and share the difficulties of the victims of the recent Water Festival Tragedy.

The full appeal dated today reads as follow:

“APPEAL OF THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT

The Royal Government of Cambodia is very sadden and regretful of the incident which caused the loss of hundreds of lives and other hundreds injured, occurred on 22 November 2010 on Pich Bridge, Koh Pich Area- Phnom Penh, during Water and Moon Festival.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has set up committee and subcommittees to handle this unfortunate and regretful event and decided to hold the official mourning day nationwide on 25 November 2010 for those who lost their lives.

To share the condolences to the family of the victims, the Royal Government would like to make an appeal to the national and international charitable contributors for their financial or material contributions in the spirit of the solidarity in order to help and share the victims' difficulties.

Your kind contributions can be made through the Royal Government's newly opened Relief Funds Account of National Bank of Cambodia as-follows:

- Account number 000000007298, Account name COM: Koh Pich Victim Rescue (USD), Swift Code: NCAMKHPP

- Account number 000000007297, Account name COM: Koh Pich Victim Rescue (KHR).

If there are any queries, please contact the Officials of the Council of Ministers through phone numbers: 023 677 7540, 017 556 535, 012 445 050. The name of the contributors will be displayed on the screen of the local TVs.” --AKP

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Friendly Countries Express Condolences for Cambodia Water Festival Tragedy

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- The U.S. has shared its condolences with the Cambodian people for the Water Festival tragic event.

“On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer our deep condolences for the tragic loss of life and the injuries in Phnom Penh during Cambodia’s annual Water Festival,” U.S. Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement dated Nov. 22.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims and with all the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia. I have seen their strength and resilience first hand, including during my recent visit, and I am confident that they will pull together and persevere through this difficult time,” she said.

Meanwhile, Vietnam, Singapore, France and Pakistan also extend their deepest condolences to Cambodian leaders and people as well as to the victims’ families.

Hundreds of people were killed and injured in a stampede on Monday night on a bridge at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Center, Phnom Penh when Cambodia were celebrating the last day of Water Festival, the country’s most popular festival.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has announced Nov. 25 as the national mourning day to commemorate the people killed during this incident and recommended all state institutions, public and private establishments to hoist the flag at half mast.

According the latest figures, the death toll has reached 375 with about 755 people injured. --AKP

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Religious Ceremony To Be Held at Koh Pich Tomorrow

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- Cambodia is observing a religious ceremony in memory of those killed in the human disaster at Koh Pich in the night of Nov. 22, 2010, according to an announcement of the Ministry of Information.

The ceremony will be held on Nov. 25 at 16:00 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, it said.

The contact numbers for further information are 012 914 242 and 012 926 011, added the announcement.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has announced Nov. 25 as the national mourning day to commemorate the people killed during this incident and recommended all state institutions, public and private establishments to hoist the flag at half mast.

According the latest figures, the death toll has reached 375 with about 755 people injured. --AKP

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Enhancing SME in Cambodia’s Economy

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- “Sustainability of small and medium enterprises through credit provision to support their production is vital to enhance competitive advantage of Cambodia’s economy, especially when the world is recovering from the economic crisis”, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance H.E. Keat Chhon.

The deputy prime minister made the remark while presiding over the 7th International Forum for Chief Executives of Development Finance Institutions held in Siem Reap province on Nov. 18.

The development of small and medium enterprises in Cambodia with the link to financing institutions does not produce satisfactory result yet. To grease the process, the Royal Government of Cambodia has created supporting development framework and institutional structure, improved commercial governance, formulated legal framework, and bettered communication between the government and small and medium enterprises.

Findings show that the small and medium enterprises have difficulty to seek funding support from the banks due to their limited “property deposit” and capacity in developing business plan.

Hosted by Cambodia, the International Forum was committed to identify strategic response to challenges for sustaining financing institution service that supports small and medium enterprises. --AKP

(By MOM Chan Dara Soleil)

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Cambodia Signs Contract with S. Korean Company on National Road 56 Project

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- Cambodia and a South Korean company have signed a contract allowing the company to examine the construction project of the National Road 56, as part of the Cambodia Northwest Provincial Road Improvement Project.

The contract was signed here last week by H.E. Tram Iv Tek, minister of Public Works and Transport, and Mr. Park Tae Dong, director of Korea Consultant International.

The construction of the 84-kilometer National Road 56 linking Svay Chek district of Banteay Meanchey to Samrong district of Oddar Meanchey will take four years with a concession loan from the Asian Development Bank. --AKP

(By Khan Sophirom)

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Cambodian Experts To Attend Conference on the Environments of the Poor in India

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- Seven Cambodian experts will attend Conference on The Environments of the Poor: Responding to Climate Change and the Green Economy - Making Sustainable Development More Inclusive, according to an ADB’s news release.

These experts are from the Ministries of Economy and Finance; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and Environment and some research institutions, it said.

The International Conference will be held in New Delhi, India, from Nov. 24 to 26 and attended by experts and scientists from approximately 30 countries and international organizations, indicated the news release.

The purpose of the International conference is to encourage the participants to discuss and find out solutions to cope with climate change issue and finalize strategies to help the poor people in the region, it said.

About 130 to 150 participants are expected to attend the international conference, including 80 regional government experts, and 20 to 30 experts from related institutions, said the news release. --AKP

(By Noeu)

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Japanese Electronic Factory To Be Operational in Early 2011

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- An electronic factory, being built in Kambol special economic zone by Minebea (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., will be operational in early 2011.

For the first step, the company has planned to recruit some 280 workers through Cambodia Victory Corporation (CVC).

This is the first Japanese investment in the electronic devices production in Cambodia.

Minebea (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Minebea Co., Ltd., a Japanese giant manufacturer of miniature ball bearings, precision motor and electronic devices. --AKP

(By LIM Nary)

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ADB To Improve Dengue, Disease Monitoring in Three Mekong Countries

Phnom Penh, November 24, 2010 AKP -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending US$49 million to expand surveillance response systems to help control dengue outbreaks, and prevent the spread of communicable and tropical diseases in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, said an ADB press release dated Nov. 23.

The Second Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Regional Communicable Diseases Control Project, which is an offshoot of the first GMS Regional Communicable Diseases Control Project, will also target improvements in the capacity of health services and communities involved in disease control in border districts of the three countries.

Infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian influenza, and swine flu, have had major economic impacts on productivity, trade, and tourism in Asia and will continue to pose a public health threat. In addition, dengue continues to spread, and communicable diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and HIV/AIDS, as well as tropical illnesses such as Japanese encephalitis and schistosomiasis, pose a major disease burden.

“Preventing these diseases requires better local participation and much more intensive regional cooperation,” said Vincent de Wit, lead health professional in ADB's Southeast Asia Department. He emphasized the necessity of a quick response system and that bringing communicable diseases under control requires cross-border cooperation.

The community-based communicable disease control systems funded by the project are aimed at around 1.7 million people living in 116 border districts in the three countries. About one-third of the population in the target areas belong to ethnic minority groups.

The earlier GMS Regional Communicable Diseases Control Project, initiated in 2005 in partnership with the World Health Organization, came at a timely moment, coinciding with the outbreak of avian influenza, an escalation of dengue, and an emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Lao PDR. It helped strengthen provincial surveillance in the three Mekong countries and gave provinces greater capacity and emergency funding to respond swiftly to disease outbreaks resulting in reduced deaths, medical costs and economic losses.

The new project will build on earlier successes to strengthen surveillance and response mechanisms. Financing will come from ADB's concessional Asian Development Fund with a loan of US$27 million for Viet Nam and grants of US$10 million for Cambodia and US$12 million for Lao PDR. The three countries will provide counterpart support totaling US$5 million equivalent.

The Ministry of Health in each country will be the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion in June 2016. The regional coordination unit will be based in Vientiane. --AKP