Senate Set to Decide on Covid Law
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent Issue Number 3623 / 4000 RIEL Senate set to decide on Covid law Niem Chheng and Mom Kunthear in the hands of the commission on The draft law was proposed by the trol law to contain the pandemic and defines legal measures to prevent the health, social affairs, youth rehabili- government on February 28 and passed urged the Senate to speedily pass it. spread of Covid-19,” Hun Sen said. HE Senate will hold an tation, labour, vocational training, by the National Assembly on March 5 “I request that the Senate presi- Bun Neang said: “The law will be extraordinary session on and women’s affairs for a review. following the February 20 community dent, acting as head of state, find a passed no later than five days because March 11 to approve the The commission will then refer the outbreak of Covid-19, which had seen way to swiftly enact the draft law that Article 113 of the Constitution states draft law on the control of draft law to the Permanent Commit- confirmed cases rise to 549 in just over the National Assembly has recently that the Senate can pass a draft law Covid-19T and other contagious dis- tee on March 10, with a full Senate two weeks as of March 9. passed. Please hold an online session deemed urgent by the National As- eases, with the bill expected to be session expected the next day. Once In an urgent public address late on or a meeting with a limited number of sembly within five days of its receipt. promulgated the same day. approved, the bill will be returned to March 8, Prime Minister Hun Sen members, because this law is urgent. “When the Senate approves it, the Senate spokesman Mam Bun the National Assembly to proceed said while the government would “We cannot enforce the state of draft will be returned to the National Neang confirmed to The Post on with a signature from the King or not enforce the State of Emergency emergency [law] in this situation yet, March 9 that the draft law is now acting head of state. Law as yet, it needed a disease con- but we are in need of this law that CONTINUED – page 2 China begins virus passport scheme to up int’l tourism CHINA has launched a health certifi- cate programme for Chinese interna- tional travellers, leading the world in plans for so-called virus passports. The digital certificate, which shows a user’s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was launched on March 9. The certificate is being rolled out “to help promote world economic recovery and facilitate cross-border travel”, a foreign ministry spokesman said. However, while the certificate is meant for travel in and out of China, it is currently only available for use by Chinese citizens and it is not yet mandatory. There is also no indication author- ities in other countries will use it when Chinese travellers go abroad. Nevertheless, the certificate, which is also available in paper form, is thought to be the world’s first known “virus passport”. The US and Britain are among countries currently considering Rice and shine implementing similar permits. A woman carries a pile of rice straw in Preah Khe commune of Kampong Speu province’s Baset district on Saturday. The Kingdom exported 76,222 tonnes of milled rice The EU is also working on a vaccine worth $64.53 million and 287,850 tonnes of paddy in the first two months of this year. HONG MENEA “green pass” that would allow citizens to travel between member countries and abroad. China’s programme includes an encrypted QR code that allows each country to obtain a travellers’ health Cambodia chalks up five oil wells information, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on March 9. Thou Vireak form featured in KrisEnergy’s “Mini- could reach a peak rate of approxi- “Estimates show that we’ll pump out “QR health codes” within WeChat Phase 1A” development – in the off- mately 7,500 barrels of crude per between 7,000 and 7,500 barrels a day, and other Chinese smartphone apps SINGAPORE-BASED oil and gas firm shore Cambodia Block A concession day. “If the five wells perform well, which is a considerably miniscule vol- are already required to gain entry to KrisEnergy Ltd began extracting of the Khmer Basin’s Apsara oilfield. [KrisEnergy] will drill even more ume that won’t leave a profound domestic transport and many public crude oil from four additional wells And the PV Drilling III jack-up rig wells as their plans dictate.” impact on our economy soon, but a spaces in China. late last month, according to Cheap began drilling the remaining four wells In late December, Hun Sen said the good start for the oil and gas industry The apps track a user’s location and Sour, a senior official at the Ministry A-02D through A-05D on January 30, Kingdom could net about $30 million in Cambodia,” the prime minister said. produce a “green” code – synony- of Mines and Energy. according to Prime Minister Hun Sen. per annum from the commodity if December 28’s highly-anticipated mous with good health – if a user has This comes after the December 28 Sour, director-general of the min- international oil prices remain at milestone extraction from offshore not been in close contact with a con- maiden oil extraction from the A-01D istry’s General Department of Petro- around $55 per barrel, citing predic- firmed case or has not travelled to a well – part of the five-well mini-plat- leum, told The Post that the five wells tions from energy minister Suy Sem. CONTINUED – page 6 virus hotspot. AFP SEARCH FOR SUNKEN PROGRESS LIFTS HOPES UXO WRECKS EXPANDS FOR INITIATION OF FTA TO KANDAL, PREY VENG TALKS WITH EAEU BLOC NATIONAL – page 3 BUSINESS – page 6 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST MARCH 10, 2021 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National Hun Sen reiterates call Nationwide school closures for social distancing as begin anew as Covid spreads situation turns ‘critical’ Voun Dara Continued from page 1 before this law are still valid until another legal standard HE Ministry of Education, Youth Assembly who will seek ratifi- is announced. and Sport has announced the cation from the King or head Meanwhile, Hun Sen has re- suspension of some state and of state.” iterated calls for all families to private schools in the capital and The draft law consists of six keep their children indoors. Tprovinces due to the spread of Covid-19. chapters and 18 articles, with He also advised that the el- The education ministry has also in- jurisdiction to enforce mea- derly and adults refrain from structed all national departments and sures to prevent the spread of going out unless absolutely staff members to work from home. 10 the Covid-19 and other seri- necessary and to wear a mask per cent of the officials are to be put on ous, dangerous, and conta- while doing so. standby in these units. gious diseases in Cambodia. The prime minister warned These measures are according to the But many of its details will that the Covid-19 situation is instructions of Prime Minister Hun Sen likely be prescribed in sub- critical now with infections and are intended for the purpose of pre- decrees that will come later. rapidly spreading through venting the spread of Covid-19. The draft law lays out condi- Phnom Penh and the prov- Separately, on March 9 the Ministry of tions regarding bans on trav- inces of Preah Sihanouk and Labour and Vocational Training decided elling, gatherings and trading Prey Veng as well as some to temporarily suspend in-person stud- activities as well as lockdown parts of Kandal province. ies at the Technical and Vocational Edu- of places determined to be the “We don’t actually know cation and Training institutes in Prey source of infections and ban of where exactly the outbreak of Veng, Kampong Cham and Koh Kong products linked to the spread the disease originated,” he said. provinces, but these educational institu- of a contagious disease. Meanwhile, the prime min- tions are instructed to continue to oper- A number of state and private schools have been suspended as Covid-19 spreads. HENG CHIVOAN Individuals and institutions ister ordered the temporary ate their respective programmes online. that violate the health mea- suspension of all state insti- The Ministry of Education decided to area? I let His Excellency, the provincial to work from home online and at least 10 sures defined by this law will tutions and instructed them maintain the total closure of state and governor of Prey Veng conduct a practi- per cent of their officials were to be put face administrative and crim- to reduce the number of staff private schools in Phnom Penh, Kandal cal inspection. Surely, some parts are to on standby. All meetings are to be held inal responsibility ranging by at least 90 per cent. He also province and Preah Sihanoukville and be closed. But because up to 11 people online when necessary. from monetary fines to hav- urged private businesses to Stung Hav in Preah Sihanouk province got infected on March 8 from the doc- Education ministry officials have to con- ing their business licences re- work from home as the coun- because of the continued risks from tor, the outbreak area should be closed?” tinue to submit and organise documents voked or even imprisonment.