N U MB E R 3430 ssue I wednesday, may 27, 2020 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent www.phnompenhpost.com 4000 RIEL

laid-off Workers state-owned ARDB innovations join get unemployment bank extends hand Covid-19 fight allowances to agro industry in Indonesia national – page 3 business – page 6 world – page 10 ‘Potential Gov’t rolls out stimulus shield’ for virus hangs to keep businesses afloat in balance THE World Health Organisation Thou Vireak den on poor people through social tax rate on banks and microfinance non-existing countries) for 2021 and (WHO) suspended trials of the assistance programmes. institutions from external and domestic adjust the withholding tax rates on drug that US president Donald HE government has intro- “The fourth round of measures also sources to five per cent (borrowed banks and microfinance institutions Trump has promoted as a coro- duced the fourth round of focuses on helping to rehabilitate and from countries with agreements on from both external and domestic navirus defence, fuelling con- stimulus measures aimed at boost business possibilities and allow Double Tax Avoidance (DTA) and the sources to normal levels in 2022. cerns about his handling of the ensuring economic and social businesses to contribute to econom- prevention of fiscal evasion and borrow- For finance sources for working pandemic that has killed near- stabilityT during the outbreak of the ic growth in the post-crisis context,” ing from non-DTA countries) for 2020. capital, the Ministry of Economy ly 100,000 US citizens. Covid-19 disease. a government statement said. The government will also lower and Finance will set up a “Credit Trump has led the push for The move, which was announced The government will ease the prac- withholding tax rates on banks and Guarantee Fund” with a budget of hydroxychloroquine as a poten- on Tuesday, is designed to help busi- tice of withholding tax for local and microfinance institutions from both $200 million. The fund can secure tial shield or treatment for the nesses, factories and enterprises to foreign lenders. For new loans, it has external and domestic sources to 10 virus, which has infected nearly stay afloat while reducing the bur- decided to reduce the withholding per cent (both loans from DTAs and Continued – page 7 5.5 million people and killed 345,000 around the world, say- ing he took a course of the drug as a preventative measure. Brazilian President Jair Bol- sonaro has also heavily promot- E-cigarette back ed hydroxychloroquine while the virus has exploded across the nation, which this week became the second most infect- in spotlight amid ed in the world after the US. But the WHO on Monday said it was halting testing of the drug for Covid-19 after virus pandemic studies questioned its safety, including one published on Long Kimmarita tools increases the chance of Friday in medical journal The Covid-19 transmission. Lancet that found it increased THE Ministry of Health’s Depart- “The police must strengthen the risk of death. ment of Communicable Disease measures to ban the sale of The WHO “has implement- (DCD) department has released electronic cigarettes,” it said. ed a temporar y pause … while a video about the effects of Vaping and shisha were the safety data is reviewed”, smoking, while the NGO Cam- banned by the National its chief Tedros Adhanom bodia Movement for Health Authority for Combating Drugs Ghebreyesus said, referring (CMH) warned against the use (NACD) in 2014. But the CMH to the hydroxychloroquine of electronic cigarettes or vape. said there is still advertising on arm of a global trial of various The short video clip that was social media platforms that possible treatments. posted on the CDC’s Facebook describe e-cigarettes as a “quit Last week, Trump announced page last week conveyed a smoking machine”. Shisha, that he was taking the drug, message that smoking affects often associated with the Mid- explaining he had decided to and destroys the lungs and dle East, involves smoking take it after receiving letters other parts of the body and tobacco through a bowl with a from a doctor and other peo- increases the chance of Covid- hose or tube. ple advocating it. 19 infection. In a directive dated February “I think it’s good. I’ve heard The CDC said smokers are 25 that year, the NACD said while a lot of good stories,” Trump vulnerable to getting infected the products do not contain told reporters then, as he more than non-smokers. “It is addictive substances banned by declared it safe. the right thing that you decide Cambodian laws, they do con- Trump dismissed the opin- to quit smoking from now. tain high-synthetic nicotine that ions then of his own govern- Quitting smoking can rejuve- affects smokers’ health. ment’s experts who had nate lung health by 30 per cent NACD secretary-general Meas warned of the serious risks within two or three weeks,” the Virith confirmed to The Post on associated with hydroxychlo- CDC message said. Tuesday that e-cigarettes are not roquine, with the Food and At a press conference on allowed in Cambodia. He said Drug Administration high- Monday, the CMH warned that the sale, marketing and use of lighting reported poisonings students are at risk of contract- the product are against the law. and heart problems. ing Covid-19 and other dis- “It is a reasonable concern Family outing? Trump has been heavily eases due to vaping. It said that using these tools can A Cintri worker, with his children in tow, removes rubbish along a pavement in Phnom sharing the same smoking affect health,” he said. Penh. Those who do not pay for rubbish collection have been warned of action. HENG CHIVOAN sTORY > 5 Continued – page 9

one month’s free VIP subscription Pufferfish poisons THE PHNOM PENH POST group in Kampong National Inside page 3 For the first 1,000 Phnom Penh Post Speu, kills two men readers who register! 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com National Man held for violating daughter and niece

Kim Sarom

KANDAL Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Depart- ment officers sent a man to the provincial court on Tuesday after arresting him the day before for allegedly molesting his daughter and niece in Sa’ang district. Department chief Ros Savin said the 30-year-old construction worker was questioned before be- ing sent to court. “My department sent the sus- pect to court and the provincial prosecutor is working on the case,” he said. Sa’ang district police chief Ros Chantha told The Post on Tuesday that the suspect’s nine-year-old daughter and 11-year-old niece are students and live in Sa’ang district. A police officer who asked to re- main anonymous said they were tipped off by the victims’ grand- mother and aunt. Quoting the niece, the police offi- National Police chief Neth Savoeun warned that capital and provincial chiefs would be held legally liable if they continued to use roadblocks to stop drivers not breaking the law. police cer said she made daily visits to her uncle’s house. When they were alone one day, the suspect forced her to touch him inappropriately and per- form oral sex before groping her. Police chief: remove all roadblocks He regularly manipulated her by giving her cakes or money and Khorn Savi again. First, stop putting up the order because traffic police officials He maintained that even though only committed the crimes when roadblocks. Second, [we] were clear had enforced the law in a way op- orders were issued to remove the they were alone. ATIONAL Police chief Neth that as long as drivers break the law, posed to the principles laid out by roadblocks, police will be deployed The suspect’s daughter told po- Savoeun warned Phnom we call them for checks. the senior leadership. on the road as before to monitor lice that her father forced her to Penh and provincial po- “Now it is being reported that on the The leadership determined seven drivers who break the law. touch him inappropriately and lice chiefs to remove all roads, especially in Kampong Cham, points for issuing fines to motorcycle Deputy National Police Commis- he would do the same to her. She Nroadblocks, saying that traffic police Tbong Khmum and Mondulkiri prov- riders for breaking the law and nine sioner and secretary-general of the said she didn’t understand what officials in some provinces had tight- inces, drivers who don’t break the law points for motorists. The leadership National Road Safety Committee, was happening and followed him, ened traffic law implementation are being called to pull over. didn’t lay out guidelines for stopping Him Yan, recently said police had added the police. against guidelines. “Now, at this hour, this morn- drivers at roadblocks. set the traffic violations. Other family members of the In a leaked voice message which ing, all the roadblocks on National “Police officials put up the road- The offences included motorcycle victims noticed a change in their was shared on social media on Roads in all provinces are to be re- blocks which hurt the feelings of citi- riders not wearing protective hel- moods and asked them what Tuesday, Savoeun warned that all moved. You police chiefs go inspect zens who weren’t breaking the law. mets, drinking and driving, disre- had happened. When the kids re- capital and provincial chiefs would them and if any provinces still have “But if they drive cars using phones garding traffic lights and signs, mak- vealed the truth, the victims’ aunt be held accountable before the law them the police chiefs will be held and not fastening seatbelts or they ing turns without consideration for and grandmother alerted police if their respective provinces still accountable before the law.” overtake another car inappropriately other road users, overtaking vehicles on Monday. put up roadblocks and made drivers National Police spokesman Chhay – a threat to safety on the road – then carelessly, and other such violations. Police said the suspect denied stop for checks when they weren’t Kim Khoeun on Tuesday expressed traffic policemen can call them for “Motorists overload goods, have the allegation. But based on the breaking the law. dissatisfaction at those who leaked checks and fine them. [The police] no number plates, use phones, drive testimonies of the victims and Savoeun is recorded as saying: the recording. even have the right to check for a without a licence and don’t fasten their family members, police im- “Capital police chiefs need to think But he said that Savoeun gave the driver’s licence,” Khoeun said. seatbelts,” Yan said. mediately detained him. Por Sen Chey woman murdered

Khouth Sophak Chakrya call to my cousin, who is the relative and inspecting the was a black dot on the throat landlord’s son, to check and body, police concluded that and the right jaw. We assume POR Sen Chey district police unlock the door. the suspect intended to burgle that the victim died because are searching for a suspect “I then saw my sister dead in the property said Sovann. the offender hit and strangled who robbed and killed a wom- the room with a mess of stuff “At the scene, police found a her,” he said. an in a rented room in Sam- around her. A motorbike dis- pair of flip flops believed to Police said they have scanned raong Kraom commune in appeared too.” belong to the offender. We the footprints on the flip flops Phnom Penh at 6:30pm on After speaking to the victim’s checked the body and there to identity the offender. Monday. Deputy district police chief Chea Sovann told The Post on Tuesday that the victim, Auch Yen, 46, was a grocery seller who lived in a rented room with her sister, Auch Sarorn, who works at a garment fac- tory in the capital. Sovann said Sarorn returned from work on Monday to find the room they shared locked from the outside. She assumed her sister had gone out to buy stock for her store, as she nor- mally did. Sovann quoted Sarorn as saying: “After I saw the ice bucket which my sister stored drinks in was abnormally opened, I called her but no one answered. I then made a phone Por Sen Chey district police are still looking for the suspect who killed Auch Yen, 46. supplied THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 3 National Pufferfish poisons Red Cross gives $1 million to group in Kampong Kantha Bopha Foundation Speu, kills two men Niem Chheng Niem Chheng Provincial health depart- ment director Or Vanthen told HE Cambodian TWO men died and three oth- The Post on Tuesday that the Red Cross (CRC) on ers were sent to hospital after villagers had cooked the puff- Tuesday donated $1 they ingested poisonous puff- erfish and ate them as they million to the Cam- erfish in Kampong Speu prov- drank wine. bodiaT Kantha Bopha Foun- ince on Monday evening. “A short while after they ate dation for the Kantha Bopha The group allegedly caught the fish and drank wine, they Children’s Hospital. the fish at O Toang Veal Lvea started feeling the effects of The Foundation said in a dam before preparing it and the poison and vomited. One press release on Monday that eventually eating it in Oral person died at the scene and the handover ceremony for district’s Trapaing Chor com- another died on the way to the funds was held at the CRC mune. hospital. Three others were headquarters. Once they began to feel the treated in hospital and have Annie Sok An, a repre- ill effects of the poison, they been returned home,” he said. sentative for CRC president started vomiting and one man Last year, the Ministry of Bun Rany Hun Sen, said the died before an ambulance ar- Health warned the public cheque was handed to Min- rived. The other died on the to exercise extreme caution ister of Economy and Finance way to the hospital. when consuming pufferfish. Aun Pornmoniroth and the Oral district police chief The ministry said from 2017 chairman of the Foundation’s Buth Bunthoeun on Tues- to February 2019, five people board of trustees. day named the two victims were killed from eating poison- The Foundation cited Porn- as Yung Ngeth, 42, from Srae ous pufferfish, while 40 others moniroth as saying that the Ken village and Hong Sarath, were poisoned but recovered. Covid-19 pandemic had dilut- 35, from Srae Tachey village, According to the ministry, ed donations from the public Aphivoat Commune, Teuk there are 10 kinds of pufferfish, while the decline in interna- Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth (right) accepted the check from the Cambodian Red Phos district, Kampong Chh- but only three are poisonous – tional tourists to Siem Reap Cross at their headquarters . finance ministry nang province. the Tetraodon cochinchinen- had also hurt as the proceeds Two women at the gather- sis, Monotrete leiurus and the from visitors to Angkor Wat go The Secretariat of the at the hospitals’ outpatient en delivered babies there. ing, Mao Seng and Vann Srey Tetraodon fluviatilis. towards the Foundation. Foundation told The Post on wards and 59,116 seriously The Foundation director- Pich, recovered in hospital, as The most dangerous time “The assistance of the gov- Tuesday that the CRC had al- ill children had been hospi- general Dr Denis Laurent did a man named Vann Sam- to eat a pufferfish is between ernment and the CRC for this ways offered $1 million to the talised. said on Tuesday that contri- phors. All three are from Srae February and March while Foundation has not declined Foundation every year since Among the number, 987 butions by the CRC and the Ken village. they are laying eggs and again despite the Covid-19 pandem- it was established in 2018. had been treated for fever, government were a good sign, Bunthoeun said seven from July to September. ic,” the press release said. The Foundation thanked 9,510 had undergone sur- especially amid the Covid-19 chickens and a dog that ate Vanthen said: “We have Pornmoniroth and Sok An the CRC and the government geries, of which 421 were for pandemic. the pufferfish’s entrails had made announcements about expressed regret over the pass- for the $1 million, saying it heart surgeries. “It’s an excellent sign from also died. pufferfish being poisonous. ing of Beat Richner, the found- was the ninth time that they Besides treating children, the CRC and the government, “Those who ate less sur- But maybe villagers with lim- er of Kantha Bopha Children’s had made such contributions the Jayavarman VII Hospital especially during the Covid- vived, but those who ate a lot ited knowledge did not pay Hospital, and Dr Peter Studer, to its hospitals. in Siem Reap province also 19 situation. The authori- died. They went to catch the much attention to them. We the vice-chairman of the It said in the first five has a maternity ward. In the ties have always shown that fish at a dam called O Toang have already dispatched our board and the executive direc- months of this year, 288,295 first five months of this year, they want to support Kantha Veal Lvea. Nothing like this working team to the village tor of the Swiss-based Kantha children had been checked 55,543 pregnant women had Bopha even after the passing has ever happened here previ- where the incident occurred,” Bopha Foundation. and received consultation been checked and 9,354 wom- of my two bosses,” he said ously,” Bunthoeun said. he said. Suspended workers Capital calls for Covid-19 caution get unemployment Khorn Savi Ry Sochan To be paid the allowances, THE Phnom Penh Municipal the Ministry of Labour advised Hall announced on Monday THE Ministry of Labour and workers to take along their that authorities in the city’s Vocational Training has an- Khmer ID and phone numbers. 14 districts must encourage nounced allowance pay- “[People] are not required people to continue various ments for more than 33,000 to pay service fees to Wing safety measures to prevent a suspended workers from the agents when the allowance is second wave of Covid-19. garment and tourism sectors. paid,” the ministry said. It called on administrations, The workers are from 111 It advised workers to con- departments and units to ed- factories forced to suspend tact it for more information if ucate residents on daily living operations due to a lack of or- they do not receive any mes- habits like washing hands, ders because of Covid-19. The sages from Wing. wearing masks, and practis- allowances will be transferred Labour ministry spokesper- ing social distancing. via Wing agents. son Heng Sour told The Post The Municipal Hall ordered The Ministry of Labour said on Tuesday that sending the authorities to ban local meet- in a notice on Tuesday: “Wing messages directly is a way to ings and gatherings like par- (Cambodia) Limited Special- encourage workers to get the ties and religious ceremonies. ised Bank will send messages allowances on time. If restaurants and various to phone numbers of workers Programme coordinator at shops fail to follow instruc- who gave information to the the Centre for Alliance of La- tions like putting out hand ministry.” bor and Human Rights Khun sanitisers and checking tem- The notice said the allow- Tharo told The Post on Tues- peratures, their businesses ances will be paid in Cam- day that he welcomed the would be closed temporarily. bodian riel with the amount speedy methods of paying “The ban on some business- based on the number of em- the allowances as it helps re- es like gyms, cinemas, night Phnom Penh Municipal Hall announced that districts must continue safety measures. hong menea ployment contracts. duce the burdens faced by the clubs, karaoke bars, beer gar- An allowance of 60,750 affected workers. dens, massage parlours and City, US. The two cases bring for the results from Institut Health ministry secretary of riel ($15) is for suspended However, he said the allow- spas must continue,” it said, the total to 124. Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC). state York Sambath confirmed employment contracts from ances should cover workers Authorities in all districts must The new cases were found a The ministry said if one or that from May 20, nearly 1,000 seven to 10 days. An allow- in the tourism sector or tour also collect information on day after the government de- more passengers are found passengers, including Cambo- ance of 121,500 riel is for 11 agencies apart from the gar- citizens who just returned from clared it would lift a ban on pas- to be infected with Covid-19, dians and foreigners arrived in to 20 days and 162,000 riel is ment, textile and footwear abroad, check the places where sengers from the US, France, all passengers must be sent the Kingdom by plane. for workers suspended from sectors. “We want it to cover citizens isolate themselves for Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany. into quarantine at a location She said in June, Cambodi- 21 days to a month. workers in other sectors like 14 days and check their health The Ministry of Health designated by the Inter-Min- ans, especially students, will The notice said Wing would service and construction after 14 days of quarantine. maintains that foreign travel- isterial Committee to fight be able to return to the coun- transfer the allowance back to too,” he said. Two new Covid-19 cases lers are allowed to enter Cam- against Covid-19. try and the Ministry of Health the government in case a work- were recently found on May bodia with a health certificate If all the passengers obtain and Phnom Penh Municipal er is not paid the allowance www.phnompenhpost.com 21 and 22. One person trav- and must have at least $50,000 negative laboratory results, Hall will need to set up addi- within 10 days after receiving check the post website elled from the Philippines in health insurance. Travellers they will be allowed to prac- tional schools as quarantine messages from the bank. for breaking news and one more from New York will be tested and must wait tice social distancing at home. centres. 4 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com National Overtime payments suspended Vendors demand

Voun Dara border reopening

HE Ministry of Civil Voun Dara provincial administration has Service on Monday worked with the Sa Kaeo ad- ordered the directors VENDORS are demanding to ministration in Thailand not to of provincial civil reopen the Poipet interna- charge stall rental fees and to serviceT departments to tem- tional border checkpoint but let at least 20 businessmen with porarily suspend teachers’ a planned protest involving stalls in the Rong Kluea market overtime payments. 1,500 people was cancelled visit their stalls,” he said. The pay suspension in- by Banteay Meanchey gover- Puthy told The Post on cludes teachers tasked with nor Um Reatrey. Monday that upon receiving teaching two shifts, teaching Din Puthy, the head of the the response letter from the mixed classes with different Cambodia Informal Economy governor, his association will levels of students, and those Reinforced Association was be- withdraw its protest plan. working over the normal hind the demonstration by busi- However, he said businessmen number of hours per week. nessmen and vendors at Rong who have stalls at Rong Kluea A letter signed by Minister of Kluea, Aranyaprathet District, market will continue their dem- Civil Service Prum Sokha on Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand. onstration as scheduled. “Con- Monday said the temporary Participants were supposed tinuing their demonstration or suspension of permit appli- to include cart workers and not is the right of the business- cations for teacher overtime vendors, and moto, taxi and men in Poipet,” he said. payments has been submitted tuk-tuk drivers. Thun Toeu, a businessman to the directors of the provin- “This demonstration is to who has a stall at the mar- cial civil service departments. reopen the Poipet – Klong ket told The Post that his liv- The decision is in line with Luek International Border ing standard had decreased the Ministry of Education, The pay suspension includes teachers tasked with teaching two shifts, teaching mixed classes with different Checkpoint to do business at because he could not do any Youth and Sport’s declaration levels of students, and those working over the normal number of hours per week. post staff the Aranyaprathet District, Sa business to support his family. to temporarily suspend all Kaeo Province,” he said. “We will continue our dem- educational institutions from Ministry of Civil Service co- Economy and Finance, in- “Normally for the teaching He said if Thailand does onstration as scheduled even March 16 due to Covid-19. operate with other ministries cluding the Treasury, will process, teachers are directly not reopen the border, he though there is no participation “The suspension is made and relevant institutions to no longer provide overtime teaching, so they should be has requested the Banteay by the association. If we don’t do to control the payment of find a solution for overtime money. Teachers’ monthly paid properly for their labour. Meanchey governor not to al- it, we are going to die,” he said. teachers teaching two shifts, payments that had already salaries should continue to be “However, it was not the low any goods or trucks from Toeu singled out cart work- teaching mixed-level classes been paid to teachers. paid as usual,” he said. intention of teachers to stop Thailand to enter Cambodia. ers as particularly vulner- and teaching overtime in line Ministry spokesman Chhoe- However, the Cambodian teaching. It was because of Reatrey responded to Puthy able because they hardly earn with the government’s mea- un Bunnarath said on Tuesday Independent Teachers’ Asso- Covid-19. It is the ministry as that his administration will not 10,000 riel ($2.50) per day. sure on strengthening cost ef- that the suspension of the per- ciation (Cita) president Ouk well as the government that allow the demonstration be- He said if the government ficiency,” Sokha said. mits meant that the provincial Chayavy does not support the issued instructions for them cause the government is pre- does not consider their plight, Sokha instructed the direc- and municipal civil service de- decision. She said it was inap- to stop teaching,” she said. venting the spread of Covid-19. there will be thieves every- tors at each provincial civil partments would suspend the propriate because teachers Chayavy called on the rel- He said preventing a second where because poor people service department to suspend approval of applications for had no intention of suspend- evant ministries to check for wave meant prohibiting any do not have any money to permits allowing monthly monthly overtime payments. ing their work. ghost teachers or teachers gathering or events until Sep- support themselves. “If the overtime payments until a fur- “When the Department of That decision, she said, was who are listed at schools but tember. Reatrey said concession Poipet International Border ther announcement is made. Civil Service does not grant made by the government to don’t actually teach, to reduce had been made for the vendors. Checkpoint does not re-open, He also suggested that the permits, the Department of prevent the spread of Covid-19. government spending. “So far, the Banteay Meanchey we cannot survive,” he said. THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 5 National City threatens tough action against rubbish scofflaws Long Kimmarita Phnom Penh Municipal Hall’s He confirmed that by the Waste Management and Envi- end of 2020 the second phase THE Phnom Penh Municipal ronment managing director of the auction process will be Hall warned on Monday it will Nuon Samnavuth told The Post in place and companies that act against businesses and on Tuesday that the announce- are authorised to manage residents who fail to pay for ment was a reminder to all waste collection will be able to rubbish removal. residents and business owners carry out their work. That could include shutting who had not paid for the rub- “The auction has two phases down businesses and even bish collection service. and the first phase, which is publicly disclosing the names He said the PPWMA had the application, has concluded. of business owners, services, names of a number of people We are in the second phase or private institutions and citi- who had not yet paid for waste auction phase now,” he said. zens who fail to comply. collection services and if they A Ministry of Environment The warning mentioned that go past the due date, the meas- 2019 report said the total amount many citizens still haven’t ful- ures would be taken against of rubbish generated in Cambo- filled their obligation to pay for them. “We have already dia per day was more than 10,000 Citizens can submit their tax declarations and payments at several different locations. hean rangsey rubbish and solid waste col- informed them,” he said. tons, which is equivalent to near- lection services. Samnavuth said the man- ly four million tonnes per year. It stressed that citizens who agement of waste collection in Of that waste, 65 per cent is have not paid for rubbish and Phnom Penh is still under the organic, 20 per cent plastic solid waste collection services leadership of the Phnom Penh and the rest solid and other Vehicle taxes to be need to pay for such services wastes. Phnom Penh alone Municipal Hall because the on time. bidding process had not been produces some 3,000 tons of In case people still don’t ful- completed. rubbish per day. fil their obligations, the admin- collected from June istration said it will take meas- ures, including “disclosing the Ry Sochan Bank, Cambodia Public Plc or solidation meeting as saying list of people who have not yet any banks that signed Memo- the government’s goal was to paid for rubbish and solid HE Ministry of Econ- randums of Understanding collect $2.89 billion in taxes waste collection services on omy and Finance will (MoU) with the ministry. for 2019. social media and other media, start collecting vehi- Owners of tax-exempt Vibol said the GDT will set record [non-payment] as debt cle taxes for this year vehicles should request a up mechanisms for monitor- and take administrative action fromT June 1 and will accept vehicle label from the Gen- ing tax evasion connected by temporarily closing busi- payments until November 30. eral Department of Taxation with construction materials, nesses or services or take oth- Those who haven’t paid (GDT) and attach it to their cement, concrete and petro- er measures as necessary.” taxes for last year will be fined vehicle inventory. leum. In October, the government according to the law. “From January 1, 2021, on- The GDT will also follow up changed the provision of rub- A notification issued by the wards the GDT [will] cooper- on the implementation of the bish services in Phnom Penh ministry’s General Depart- ate with authorities to review value-added tax (VAT) stamp from private company Cintri to ment on Monday states: “The tax declarations and fine on beer products in order for the Phnom Penh Waste Man- collection of tax on all types owners of vehicles that have the tax to be transparent and agement Authority (PPWMA) Businesses that don’t pay for rubbish removal could be shut down. heng of vehicles for 2020 will be not yet paid their taxes,” the ensure fair competition. for temporary management. chivoan implemented from June 1 to announcement said. At another GDT meeting November 30, 2020.” The director-general of the in January, Vibol said the The notice said car own- ministry’s General Department VAT revenue collected by the ers must submit their tax Kong Vibol could not be reached GDT through the online tax declarations and payments for comment on Tuesday. revenue data management at provincial or district tax However, Vibol was quoted system in 2019 was $2.82 bil- branches, or at Canadia Bank in a GDT press release from lion, 23 per cent over the ex- Plc, Acleda Bank Plc, Vattabac a January tax revenue con- pected amount. Suspect in Tbong Khmum murder wants sentence reduced Kim Sarom The Kampong Cham Provin- cial Court sentenced Bin and A SUSPECT in a 2015 murder, Sin Sros, who was tried in absentia, Bin, requested a sentence reduc- to 20 years in prison on Novem- tion on Tuesday at the Tbong ber 29, 2015, for aggravated Khmum Appeal Court after he robbery. The court also ordered maintained that he did not par- police to find and arrest Sros. ticipate in the actual killing. Bin admitted to the judge at The murder occurred on Tuesday’s hearing that he had June 1, 2015, in Damrel com- enticed Hing to drink beer. But mune’s Khnub Domrey village he said Sros had killed him. in Tbong Khmum province’s “I saw Sros hitting the victim O’Reang-ou district. and I tried to stop him. But According to Appeal Court Sros wouldn’t stop. I request records, Bin and his accom- that the court reduce my sen- plice Em Sros persuaded the tence,” he said. victim, Suon Hing, to drive At the hearing, prosecutor Bin Sin and his accomplice Em them to a shop for beer in Sros were sentenced to 20 years Teav Kim Kalyan asked Bin why Tbuong Khmum district. in jail in 2015. kim sarom he didn’t stop Sros from beating After they finished their beer, Hing. If he was not Sros’ accom- Sros and Bin enticed Hing to While he was relieving himself, plice, Sros would have likely join them at a KTV parlour in Sros and Bin allegedly murdered killed him, she said. Neak Loeung, a busy commer- Hing by striking him on the head “Normally, someone who cial town in Prey Veng Prov- with a stick five or six times. witnesses a crime like this is ince, where they consumed Sros and Bin then dragged not allowed to live. If the wit- more alcohol. Hing into a forest, about 25m ness is allowed to live, he or The record further stated from the pavement where the she tells the police,” she said. that after drinking until around incident occurred. Bin’s lawyer said because his 11pm, Hing was inebriated. He They removed Hing’s gold client confessed, he should be agreed to join Sros and Bin for necklace and ring before tak- granted a reduced sentence. more drinking in Kampong ing his motorcycle and riding But Kim Kalyan said she Cham province. back to O’Reang-ou district. believed Bin had killed Hing Upon arriving at a bridge in Chi- After finding Hing’s body, and asked that the court uphold ror 2 commune in Tbuong police commenced a 15-day the provincial court’s ruling. Khmum district, Hing stopped his manhunt which led to Bin’s Judge Sin Visal said a verdict motorcycle to relieve himself. arrest, while Sros escaped. will be announced in June. 6 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Business

USD / KHR USD / CAD USD / CNY USD / JPY USD / MYR USD / SGD USD / THB AUD / USD EUR / USD GBP / USD 4,115 1.3979 7.1394 107.75 4.3635 1.4256 31.99 0.6540 1.0890 1.2186 CSX trading takes 17% ARDB set to hand SMEs $20M plunge in first quarter Thou Vireak May Kunmakara utility Phnom Penh Water he state-owned Agri- Supply Authority (PPWSA) cultural and Rural TRADE volume at the nascent accounted for 31 per cent Development Bank Cambodia Securities Exchange of trade volume in the first (ARDB) will soon dis- (CSX) in the first quarter of this quarter and Taiwan-based burseT $20 million in special year was down 17 per cent garment manufacturer Grand credit as part of the $50 million on 2019’s fourth quarter, said Twins International (Cambo- they released in March in loans the Securities and Exchange dia) Plc (GTI) seven per cent. to small and medium-sized Commission of Cambodia’s Meanwhile, leading indus- enterprises (SMEs) in the agri- (SECC’s) latest Securities Trad- trial zone developer and op- cultural sector. ing Statistical Bulletin. erator Phnom Penh Special Currently, ARDB has received The first quarter saw Economic Zone Plc (PPSP) 153 SME loan applications 560,479 shares traded, worth accounted for 33 per cent. totalling around $20 million. $974,300. This was down 33 State port operators Phnom ARDB has approved $500,000 per cent in value from the Penh Autonomous Port of that amount and plans on 678,008 shares traded in (PPAP) and Sihanoukville accepting more applications, 2019’s fourth quarter. Autonomous Port (PAS) ac- said its CEO Kao Thach. Average daily trading vol- counted for 13 and 16 per “I think the loans will help a ume during the quarter was cent, respectively. lot for farmers in the agricul- 9,040 shares, worth $15,700. Sok Hour remains cautiously tural sector and we will con- The CSX index also dipped optimistic that trading activity tinue to spread information 22 per cent from 761.73 points on the CSX would gain momen- to the locals so that they can at the end of the fourth quar- tum in the upcoming months access the loans,” he said. ter of last year to 590.63 points as more companies become in- The $50 million fund released The $50 million fund released in March will provide low-interest loans to enterprises and entrepreneurs in in the first quarter of this year. volved in the stock market. the agricultural industry ranging between $10,000 and $300,000. HEAN RANGSEY in March will provide low-in- CSX CEO Hong Sok Hour “Despite this year’s global terest loans to enterprises and two years for working capital. ship Development Fund es- counting for nearly 63 per said: “The stock market has uncertainties, we hope that entrepreneurs in the agricul- But it will forbid borrowers tablished by the Ministry of cent of Cambodia’s $6.7 bil- taken a little hit from the Covid- the capital market will be- tural industry ranging between who receive loans through this Economy and Finance. lion national budget for 2019. 19 pandemic, which has led to come a potential investment $10,000 and $300,000. incentive to refinance them. An International Monetary A Ministry of Industry, Sci- a drop in trading and prices. tool for investors as it is in The government has decid- Unregistered SMEs can Fund (IMF) report released ence, Technology and Inno- However, what we can do now neighbouring countries. ed to cut the annual interest also apply for the credit, but in August said Cambodia’s fe- vation survey found that they is transform the impact of the “The market is a vehicle to rates from six to five per cent they are required to register male entrepreneurs continue needed help with market pandemic into an opportunity raise funds to grow local com- for working capital and from within one month of receiv- to struggle because of limited research and service devel- to identify ways to improve panies, provide plentiful rev- 6.5 to 5.5 per cent for capital ing the loan. access to finances for busi- opment as well as packaging business performance. enue for the people and buoy investment, without charges The government plans on ness expansion. Only three and technology adoption. “We’ve noted that trading economic growth,” he said. for services fee, it said in a expanding its credit scope to per cent have access to credit The survey also suggested transactions have been on the On Monday, Sok Hour said press release on Tuesday. SMEs by encouraging them to from microfinance institu- that the entrepreneurs need- rise from early April and I hope that, as of May 25, there are 12 It said it will adjust the max- use the technical services of tions and banks. ed assistance with human that with the participation from listed firms in the Kingdom – imum credit period from five Khmer Enterprise (KE) to fa- The report estimates that resources, access to labour our newest partner Acleda Bank six stock-listed and six corpo- years to seven years for in- cilitate their access to credit. the demand for credit from and finance, business regis- Plc, we’ll be able to attract more rate bond-listed. The 12 com- vestment capital while keep- KE is an implementation female entrepreneurs now tration, taxes and sanitation investors to the stock market. panies have raised a combined ing a short-term maximum of unit of the Entrepreneur- stands at $4.2 billion, ac- standards. “Were it not for the ongoing $240 million and the stock health crisis, we’d have seen index increased more than 57 far more investors on the per cent last year over 2018. stock market due to Acleda He added that to date, more Bank’s presence,” he said. than 25,000 individuals and Broken down between the companies have opened trad- Salt production hits 70,000 tonnes five stock-listed firms, state ing accounts at CSX. Hin Pisei But the salt sector still faces many problems related to la- CAMBODIA will postpone bour shortages, he said. importing salt to supply the Previous reports indicated Ministry reduces stake domestic market this year, as that there is more than 4,500ha harvests have netted 70,000- of salt-producing land, ex- 80,000 tonnes thus far, indus- clusively in Kampot and Kep. in Thai Airways Int’l try insiders said. If the weather is favourable, THAILAND’S Ministry of Fi- finance ministry is currently Last year, the Kingdom was each hectare can annually nance on Friday reduced its the mutual fund’s biggest hit by the severe weather produce about 20 tonnes of shareholding in Thai Airways shareholder. phenomenon El Nino and ex- salt from January to May. International (THAI) to lower The Cabinet recently ap- perienced high rainfall in salt Salt production in the prov- than 50 per cent by disposing proved the Ministry of Trans- production areas, resulting inces soared from 80,000 3.17 per cent to Vayupak Fund port’s proposal that THAI en- in a yield of just over 30,000 tonnes in 2013 to 147,000 in 1, according to a THAI filing ter bankruptcy rehabilitation tonnes for the year. 2014 and then to 175,172 in with the Stock Exchange of under court supervision. A study from the Salt 2015, before slowing down to Thailand (SET) on Monday. At its extraordinary board Producers Community of 143,145 tonnes in 2016. However, the ministry is still meeting on Monday, Thai ap- Kampot-Kep (SPCKK), the It then plummeted to a a major THAI shareholder, pointed four new directors, Kingdom’s sole producers of An SPCKK study found that Cambodia needs between 80,000-100,000 dismal 33,058 in 2017, which with 47.86 per cent of the air- effective immediately, accord- tonnes of salt per year to satisfy its domestic demand. HENG CHIVOAN the commodity, found that Ministry of Industry, Science, line’s shares, down from 51.03 ing to its filing to the SET. Cambodia needs between far, I think the production of salt Narin expects this year’s har- Technology and Innovation per cent previously. Among them is former THAI 80,000-100,000 tonnes of salt may be around 80,000 tonnes.” vest to be considerably higher data shows generated about THAI has lost its state en- president, Piyasvasti Am- per year to satisfy its domes- He added that this year’s than last year’s. “I think this $22 million. terprise status under relevant ranand, who replaced Sirikul tic demand. wholesale salt price is about year, there won’t be a shortage Production further dipped laws after this share reduction, Laukaikul as a board member. SPCKK co-president Bun the same as last year, with top of natural salt for consump- in 2018, when the Kingdom said the company. It currently Another is Pailin Chuchot- Baraing told The Post on quality salt selling at around tion, but the country may im- imported more than 10,000 has outstanding debts worth taworn, the former CEO of Tuesday that the salt harvest- 15,000 riel ($3.64) per 50kg port some industrial salts.” tonnes of salt from China. 200 billion baht ($6.3 billion). state-owned SET-listed oil and ed this year will meet local and lesser quality salt selling Industrial salt, he said, is Last year, Cambodia im- The government-controlled gas company PTT PCL, who demand as the climate in the for 12,000 riel per 50kg. used in ice production and to ported over 5,000 tonnes of Vayupak Funds, named after a replaced Pratana Mongkolkul. region improves. Production Bun Narin, a salt producer wash clothes. salt from India, said Baraing. mythical bird that lays golden The other two are Pirapan and harvesting phases should in Kampot, said that rain has He confirmed that, accord- There is no official salt import eggs, were launched in 2003 Salirathavibhaga, replacing be longer this year, he said. hit the region recently but salt ing to data recently collected data for 2019, but as a reference, by the Thaksin government to Pitipan Tepartimargorn, and “This year’s salt yield means farmers are still harvesting. by officials, more than 70,000 in 2009 Cambodia imported raise funds directly from the Boontuck Wuncharoen, re- we won’t have to import as Yields aren’t as high as they were tonnes of salt has been har- 20,000 tonnes of salt from Chi- public by investing in state- placing Pinit Puapan. THE NATION much as last year,” he said. “So in March and April, however. vested this year. na at a cost of $2.2 million. held listed companies. The (THAILAND)/ASIA NEWS NETWORK THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 7 Business Pharmaceutical ‘People looking to enterprises in gov’t for VN enjoy good support’ Continued from page 1

loans using market principles to help alleviate cash flow and earnings in Q1 working capital bottlenecks of businesses in all sectors, creat- NCREASING demand for against last year, respectively. ing at least $2 billion. medicine amid the Covid- IMP expects its business to The Ministry of Economy and 19 pandemic has helped grow strongly thanks to the Finance will also allocate $300 most pharmaceutical ethical or prescription drugs million in additional financ- Ienterprises in Vietnam report (ETC) channel. Revenue this ing to act as a catalyst to boost positive business results in the year is expected to reach 1.75 growth in key sectors during first quarter of this year. trillion dong, up 23.3 per cent the crisis and thereafter. Pharmaceutical stocks have from the same period last year. The government has de- attracted investors since the Pre-tax profit is estimated to Most pharmaceutical firms in Vietnam reported positive business results in the first quarter. VIETNAM NEWS cided to expand the coverage outbreak of the disease due reach 260 billion dong, up 17 AGENCY/VIET NAM NEWS and budget volume for the to rising need for medical per cent. Therefore, the compa- vices, especially in the context said it was facing a produc- it surged to nearly 60,000 dong “Cash for Work” programme equipment and drugs, as well ny has completed 17 per cent of of the Covid-19 outbreak. tion halt and interruptions in per share early in February in 2020 to $100 million to as forecasts that the pandem- this year’s revenue plan and 20 However, the pandemic some products that rely heav- while in previous months, its absorb unemployed workers ic may be prolonged due to per cent of the profit plan. may bring advantages to the ily on imported raw materials shares hovered at a price of less from factories and workers the long timeline of vaccine Shares of IMP decreased industry in the short term, from China. than 50,000 dong per share. returning home from abroad. manufacturing. by 14.5 per cent from an all- but if it is prolonged, it will However, DHT has dropped This is expected to be DHG Pharmaceutical JSC time high of 62,000 dong per harm supplies of imported Backward trading deeper since then, closing on achieved through local micro (DHG), the largest Vietnamese share, recorded on February raw materials from China. Although recording posi- Monday at 45,000 dong per infrastructure and construc- pharmaceutical firm by mar- 24, to 52,900 dong per share This will force pharmaceuti- tive earning results, many share. tion projects aimed at pro- ket capitalisation and revenue, on Monday. cal enterprises to switch to pharmaceutical stocks could Vietnam International Secu- moting agriculture and sus- recorded the highest profit In the first quarter, Agimex- importing from other regions not maintain the uptrend and rities Co’s (VIS’) Nguyen Hong taining the economy. among the listed pharmaceu- pharm Pharmaceutical JSC’s at higher prices. have been retreating recently. Khanh said pharmaceutical Minister of Economy and tical firms in the first quarter at (AGP’s) revenue increased Binhdinh Pharmaceutical After reaching nearly 100,000 shares are often traded thinly Finance Aun Pornmoniroth 177 billion dong ($7.6 million). slightly by 1.2 per cent year- and Medical Equipment JSC dong per share at the end of as most stay in the hands of a said on Monday that the se- This represented an in- on-year to 131 billion dong. (DBD) said more than 80 per January, shares of Pharma- few insiders, which makes it ries of measures will stabilise crease of 31 per cent year-on- However, profit dropped by cent of the main raw materials ceutical JSC (DHG) quickly easier to push prices. seriously affected business- year, fulfilling 27 per cent of nearly 12 per cent to 8.2 bil- for the company’s products decreased to hover at around “As pharmaceutical stocks es and improve the lives of the yearly target. lion dong. were imported from China. 90,000 dong. have a low free transfer rate, workers, employees and the DHG was followed by The pharmaceutical industry But due to the disease, Compared to early this year, price movements in the short general population. Pymepharco JSC (PME) and is also expected to grow strongly many factories in China had DHG has recorded a decrease term will be unpredictable, “We have already put in Imexpharm Corp (IMP) with thanks to the ageing Vietnam- to halt operation, it said. of about six per cent. especially if the demand in- place three rounds of mea- 75 billion and 41 billion dong, ese population and the increas- Domesco Medical Import- Ha Tay Pharmaceutical JSC creases sharply,” said Khanh. sures already to help the pri- up eight and 13 per cent ing demand for health care ser- Export JSC (Domesco) also (DHT) surprised investors as VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK vate sector survive, especially in key sectors such as tour- ism, aviation and textiles. “We have also stabilised the lives of workers from these sectors through fiscal exemp- Philippines ranks 8th in SEA Covid-19 response tions – allowing them not to contribute towards employ- PHILIPPINE funds for the con- 173 billion peso ($3.4 billion) ment and healthcare risks – tainment of the new coronavi- Philippine Programme for and credit waivers,” he said. rus further rose two months Recovery with Equity and Sol- The government also plans after the initial lockdown idarity (PH-Progreso) being to launch social assistance imposed in mid-March, but it pitched to Congress. programmes to alleviate still wasn’t enough to match It included the proposed Bay- hardship and stabilise peo- those of other Southeast Asian anihan 2 Act – capital and spend- ple’s lives through cash trans- countries in terms of spending ing support to businesses and fers to poor families. This will per person. consumers by providing liquid- be done through the “Cash for The Manila-based Asian ity to companies, as well as the Work” programme and short- Development Bank’s (ADB’s) Corporate Recovery and Tax term vocational training. Covid-19 policy database Incentives for Enterprises Act Royal Academy of Cam- shows that the Philippine cap- (Create) aimed at slashing com- bodia economics researcher ital’s total Covid-19 package panies’ income tax rate to 25 per Hong Vanak said the fourth stood at $19.8 billion as of May cent in July while providing flex- round of measures will help 18, up from $16.7 billion ear- ible fiscal perks to investors. the private sector maintain lier during the month and The government will now business balance. $16.5 billion last month. begin the distribution of the sec- “The measures are always The sum of the Philippine ond tranche of financial assist- to help the people, especially government’s Covid-19 policies ance for poor Filipino families the business sector because as of last week was the sixth hit hard by the economic impact all businessmen are looking biggest in Southeast Asia, after of the coronavirus pandemic. forward to government sup- Thailand’s $84.1 billion, Indo- Presidential spokesperson port during this time, but if nesia’s $64.3 billion, Singapore’s The sum of the Philippine government’s Covid-19 policies is the sixth biggest in Southeast Asia. AFP Harry Roque told a press con- Covid-19 continues to linger, $45.1 billion, Malaysia’s $35.5 ference on Monday: “We can the government will find it billion and Vietnam’s $26.4 bil- Indonesia’s $240.13 and East oeconomic surveillance organ- “Looking at both the speed now distribute the second hard to help them,” he said. lion, while surpassing Cambo- Timor’s $200.32. isation ASEAN+3 Macroeco- of new cases [epidemic curve] tranche, and this includes the A social assistance pro- dia’s $2.1 billion, Brunei’s nomic and Research Office, plus the number of active cas- five million additional families gramme to help poor fami- $318.1 million, East Timor’s ‘First and midstage’ said in a blog published last es gives us a sense of where a and the 12 million who previ- lies and vulnerable groups $254 million, Myanmar’s $99 The Philippines’ total week titled Where are We in the country is in terms of the ously received aid under the with equity cards through- million and Laos’ $10 million. response was equivalent to Covid Cycle? that the Philip- infectiousness and maturation first tranche. out the country is also un- But the Philippines’ Covid- 5.39 per cent of gross domestic pines was currently “between of the pandemic. “The difference is, we will use derway with a special focus 19 economic response per product (GDP), compared the first and midstage” of their “After all, an economy that is electronic means for payout of on children under the age of capita of $185.86 exceeded with Brunei’s 2.66 per cent, so-called ‘Covid’ cycle. recording zero new cases but the cash aid and the military five, disabled people, people only those of Cambodia Cambodia’s 7.71 per cent, The blog entry said: “The still burdened with a large will now help in distributing from 60 years and older, and ($126.77), Myanmar ($1.84) Indonesia’s 6.08 per cent, Laos’ cycle is a high-frequency indi- number of active cases is the financial assistance.” people living with HIV. and Laos ($1.46). 0.06 per cent, Malaysia’s 9.98 cator that we use to identify unlikely to be considered free He made these remarks fol- The government will also Seven Southeast Asian coun- per cent, Myanmar’s 0.13 per the rate of infection and recov- of the virus and will need to lowing a memorandum that launch the first step of the IT tries had larger Covid-19 cent, Singapore’s 12.82 per ery of the ASEAN+3 and other remain vigilant about the pos- Executive Secretary Salvador Business Registration Plat- response per capita than the cent, Thailand’s 15.96 per cent, economies, by combining sibility of reinfections.” Medialdea issued on Saturday, form in early June to promote Philippines – Singapore with East Timor’s 8.65 per cent and information from the so-called on the inclusion of more poor the registration of compa- the largest at $7,991.68, fol- Vietnam’s 10.08 per cent. epidemic curve and active Second tranche families in the government’s nies, in particular those that lowed by Thailand’s $1,211.20, Economists Anne Oeking and cases [the number of con- ADB economists added to 200 billion peso subsidy pro- intend to apply for loans from Malaysia’s $1,125.15, Brunei’s Marthe Hinojales, who both firmed cases less the number the list of Covid-19 response gramme. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ the government’s special fi- $741.61, Vietnam’s $276.28, work for the regional macr- of recoveries and deaths]. measures the economic team’s ASIA NEWS NETWORK nancing programme. wednesday, May 27, 2020 // www.phnompenhpost.com Post Covid-19 Recovery Strategies Cata president looking ahead to revival of tourism industry The Post speaks to the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents on how the once bustling tourism sector will recover after the Covid-19 outbreak

fter a turbulent start to this year due to the coronvirus outbreak, Cambodia’s tourismA market is set to pick up in early 2021. The Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (Cata) forecasts the Kingdom’s tourism sector will begin recovering in three Arrivals at Cambodia’s three major airports almost halved in the first quarter of this year. Post staff stages – starting with domestic travellers. need for travel agencies where accounting for some 12.5 per the arrival of Chinese tourists, suffering at their lowest point The Kingdom has seen a service charges will be added,” cent of GDP. which is our biggest expecta- because, unlike the food and steep decline in international Sivlin told The Post. Sivlin said the organisa- tion due to the large market beverage industry, which is visitors since the Covid-19 She added that the Ministry tion’s members are facing a size. The Chinese market could still surviving, the tourism outbreak. Arrivals at Cambo- ” of Tourism-mandated 10 per staggering 95 per cent drop be the one to help us recover industry has been reduced dia’s three major airports almost cent value added tax also pres- in revenues since February the tourism industry faster,” to [almost] zero business. halved in the first quarter of the We can foresee ents a challenge to attracting – almost crippling the once said Sivlin. “The government has en- year, to just 1,299,12 interna- the initial recovery domestic tourists as they can bustling industry that has been Chinese tourists topped the couraged reducing rental rates; tional tourists, a sharp 48.9 book accommodation and vis- a key revenue generator for the list of nationalities to visit however, no serious measures per cent decline over the same starting in 2021 as we its to attractions more cheaply nation. Cambodia in 2019, with nearly have been taken to ensure period in 2019, according to the expect tourists from themselves. Now industry players predict 265,000 having travelled to these instructions are to be Ministry of Tourism. Cata, founded in 1996 with that it could take up to four Cambodia in the first quarter seriously followed through by Siem Reap International neighbouring countries the intention of strengthen- years for the tourism industry of last year. landlords and those renting out Airport, which draws in visitors to start flowing in ing the local tourism sector, to fully recover. Sivlin said the sector is hop- spaces, buildings or offices. from across the globe to see the represents 255 travel agencies “We can foresee the initial ing for assistance from the gov- “The previous year’s audits fabled Angkor Wat complex, across the Kingdom. recovery starting in 2021 as we ernment including tax breaks to by the General Department of saw a drastic 58.8 per cent CHHAY SIVLIN / Cata president Cambodia’s tourism industry expect tourists from neigh- help weather the storm. Taxation on tourism companies drop in tourist arrivals during grossed $4.92 billion last year, bouring countries to start flow- “At the moment, our mem- also puts a big burden on us,” the same period – falling to according to official figures, ing in. The next step would be bers are gravely affected and she said. just 663,641 from 1,299,122, according to official data. Meanwhile, Angkor Ar- chaeological Park reports that only 654 people bought tickets to visit the historic site last month, a staggering 99.65 per cent drop from the 185,403 who did so in April 2019. Cata is working to mitigate the losses in business by ap- pealing to domestic tourists un- til air travel returns to the same levels as prior to the outbreak, according to the association’s president Chhay Sivlin. “This strategy poses a few challenges for travel agencies on its own. The challenges include the fact that since it is within the country, local tour- ists can simply visit [destina- tions] themselves, without the Cata president Chhay Sivlin. supplied Cambodia’s tourism industry grossed $4.92 billion in 2019, according to official figures. Post staff THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 9 World First Iranian oil tanker docks Alarming spread of virus in Latin America in Venezuela amid US tension as Europe reopening HE first of five Iranian tankers Continued from page 1 lockdowns as their outbreaks carrying much-needed petrol are brought under control. and oil derivatives docked in criticised for his handling of the In hard-hit Spain, Madrid Venezuela on Monday, Caracas virus, after initially downplaying and Barcelona on Monday announcedT amid concern in Washington the threat and then repeatedly emerged from one of the over the burgeoning relationship between rejecting scientific analysis. world’s strictest lockdowns, countries it sees as international pariahs. The US has by far the world’s with parks and cafe terraces In a statement delivered on state tele- highest coronavirus death toll, open for the first time in more vision, Minister of Petroleum Tareck El reaching 98,223 on Tuesday, with than two months. Aissami said the convoy was an expres- more than 1.66 million con- Elsewhere, gyms and swim- sion of the Venezuelan people’s “self- firmed infections, shows a tally ming pools reopened in Ger- determination” and praised Tehran’s by Johns Hopkins University in many, Iceland, Italy and Spain. friendship at a time of need. the US state of Maryland. And slowing infection rates “What great fortune to have Iran in these Despite the WHO suspen- in Greece allowed restaurants times,” said the minister, surrounded by sion, Brazil’s health ministry to resume business a week members of the military leadership. on Monday it would keep rec- ahead of schedule – but only Earlier, El Aissami triumphantly shared ommending hydroxychloro- for outdoor service. images on Twitter of the first ship, Fortune quine for Covid-19. Despite the encouraging arriving at El Palito refinery on Venezu- “We’re remaining calm and numbers, experts have warned ela’s northwest coast. “We keep going and there will be no change,” min- that the virus could hit back WINNING!” El Aissami wrote. istry official Mayra Pinheiro with a devastating second The US has closely monitored the ship- told a news conference. wave if governments and citi- ments, concerned that Iran and Venezu- “As for the studies that are zens are careless, especially in The Fortune docked in Venezuela on Monday. AFP ela – both under US sanctions – were being talked about, or that the absence of a vaccine. taking their longstanding ties to another “is for us”, but instead destined for those the next few days, state television said. particular [The Lancet] study, The latest reminder of the strategic level. with their hands on the levers of power The fleet is carrying around 1.5 million these are not clinical trials, but threat came from Sweden, The Iranian tankers have run the in Venezuela. barrels of petrol, said press reports. merely a collection of samples where the Covid-19 death toll gauntlet of US warships arrayed off the “If gasoline is sold at the same price as Tehran had warned of “consequences” from several countries. crossed 4,000 – a much higher Venezuelan coast after Washington an- abroad, nobody will be able to afford it,” if the US stopped the ships from reach- “This does not fit into a meth- figure than its neighbours. nounced last month it was stepping up he said, alluding to Venezuela’s minimum ing their destination. odologically acceptable study The Scandinavian nation has its naval presence, arguing there was an wage of $4.60 a month. Iran and Venezuela have had close rela- criterion to serve as a reference gained international attention increase in organised crime. Petrol is currently selling for up to $3 a tions since the late socialist leader Hugo for any country in the world, – and criticism – for not enforc- Tensions between Washington and Cara- litre on the black market in Caracas, un- Chavez took power in Caracas in 1999. much less for Brazil,” she said. ing stay-at-home measures like cas remain high following Venezuela’s dis- heard of in a country where motorists are Venezuela has been in recession for six Bolsonaro is a staunch oppo- other European countries. ruption last month of an abortive military used to filling up for practically nothing. years, its economy in shambles and its nent of lockdown measures In India, domestic flights assault by a group of mercenaries coordi- “We have no shortage of oil! Suppos- citizens struggling with shortages of ne- and like Trump has played resumed even as coronavirus nated by a private US security company. edly we are sitting on five billion bar- cessities such as food and medicines. down the threat of the virus, cases surge, while confusion The US has stepped up sanctions against rels of it underground. But there’s no US sanctions have targeted Venezu- even as Latin America has about quarantine rules socialist President Nicolas Maduro and his gasoline,” said Teodoro Lamonte, 50, elan oil exports, starving Caracas of vital emerged as the new global prompted jitters among pas- inner circle, recently offering a $15 million as he slowly rolled his car along a line income. virus hotspot. sengers and the cancellation reward for Maduro accusing him of mas- outside a service station. Venezuela is almost entirely dependent Brazil has reported nearly of dozens of planes. terminding a drug-smuggling ring. Venezuela boasts the largest proven oil on its oil revenues but its production has 375,000 cases, widely consid- Thailand is conducting Washington and more than 50 other reserves in the world, but production has fallen to roughly a quarter of its 2008 level. ered to be far fewer than the tests on macaque monkeys as states accuse Maduro of stealing 2018 elec- plummeted under the current regime Maduro’s government blames that on US real number because of a lack it races to produce a cheaper, tions and instead recognise his opposition and its oil exports have been hampered sanctions, including against state oil com- of testing, and more than alternative coronavirus vac- rival Juan Guaido as interim president. by US sanctions. pany Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), 23,000 deaths. cine it hopes will be ready by The vital shipment arrives at a time The Fortune arrived in Venezuela’s ter- but many analysts say the regime has failed Chile also is in the grip of a next year, a top researcher of chronic fuel shortages in the crisis- ritorial waters on Saturday night, escort- to invest in or maintain infrastructure. virus surge, with a record of has said. wracked South American country, exacer- ed by the Venezuelan navy. Falling oil prices since 2014 have exac- nearly 5,000 infections in 24 More than 100 candidate bated by the coronavirus lockdown. The navy on Twitter said its ships were erbated Venezuela’s economic crisis. hours on Monday. vaccines are currently in var- In Caracas, where drivers lined up for escorting a second tanker, the Forest, Last month, the oil ministry revealed While South America and ious stages of development hours to fill their tanks, Tehran’s helping which it said entered the country’s wa- that the price of Venezuelan crude had parts of Africa and Asia are only around the world, at least hand was viewed with a mixture of hope ters early on Monday. fallen to its lowest level in more than two just beginning to feel the full eight of which are in clinical and suspicion. The other Iranian tankers – Petunia, decades, at less than $10 a barrel. Last force of the pandemic, many trials with humans, said the Osvaldo Rodriguez, 22, doubts the fuel Faxon, Clavel and Forest – will arrive in year it averaged $56.70. AFP European nations are easing WHO. AFP Branson’s Virgin Orbit fails debut rocket launch attempt

THE first test launch of a rock- ice for operators of small satel- Angeles, for the rocket release. release are where it all comes et that is released from a jum- lites, weighing between 300 “Cosmic Girl has released together,” it said. bo jet at 35,000 feet (10km) and 500kg, a market which is LauncherOne!” the company Asked if the rocket had been and then propels itself into currently booming. said on Twitter. lost, a company spokesman did orbit to deploy a satellite failed The 21m Virgin Orbit rocket, “We’ve confirmed a clean not immediately respond. on Monday, said US small- named LauncherOne, does not release from the aircraft,” it The concept of launching a satellite launch solutions pro- take off from a vertical lift off, but added three minutes later, but rocket from a plane is not new. vider Virgin Orbit LLC. rather is strapped to the under- noted that the mission had The rocket Pegasus, developed by “The mission terminated side of a wing on a converted been terminated. Northrop Grumman Corp, has shortly into the flight. Cosmic Boeing 747 named Cosmic Girl. Hours later the company been around since the 1990s. But Girl and our flight crew are safe When it reaches the required explained: “LauncherOne main- Virgin Orbit wants to make a less and returning to base,” Virgin altitude, the plane releases the tained stability after release, and expensive version of the launch. Orbit’s Twitter account report- rocket, whose own engine fires we ignited our first stage engine, Richard Branson has founded ed as the test was underway off up to push it into Earth’s orbit NewtonThree. An anomaly then another space company, Virgin the coast of California. and place its payload in space. occurred early in first stage flight. Galactic, which is using a simi- The plane released the rock- The company said that the We’ll learn more as our engineers lar concept to take tourists into et cleanly, but the latter devel- initial phase of the test worked analyse the mountain of data we space to experience weightless- oped trouble of unknown ori- after Cosmic Girl took off from collected today.” ness some 80km above the sur- gin after igniting its first-stage an airfield in the Mojave desert Before the test flight, the face of the Earth. engine, said the company. where several space launch company had stressed that Branson had billed the first Founded by British billion- companies are based. “this mission is the most tech- of these tourist flights for sum- aire Richard Branson in 2012, The plane flew to a desig- nically complex thing we’ve mer last year, and when that Virgin Orbit wants to offer a nated area over the Pacific tried to achieve yet”. did not happen, for summer A test release of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket in July last year. quick and flexible launch serv- Ocean, off the coast of Los “The first few seconds after this year. AFP VIRGIN ORBIT/AFP 10 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com ASEAN Indonesian innovations joining Covid-19 war NDONESIA is striving to tackle ogy and Brin head Bambang Brodjo- the Covid-19 outbreak with negoro told The Jakarta Post that the domestically produced innova- recently launched products would tions, but researchers say the make extensive use of local compo- Igovernment may face roadblocks in nents (TKDN) and would be able to the mass production of such prod- replace their imported counterparts. ucts because of the absence of pro- Bambang said that some of the innovation policies. nine products had already entered The government’s research con- production and would be ready by sortium on May 20 launched nine next month for national use. products, including ventilators, a Indonesia will start producing 100 type of polymerase chain reaction to 300 ventilators each week starting (PCR) test and rapid antibody test- next week, depending on produc- ing kits, to overcome the shortage of tion capacity. critical medical equipment in Indo- Pindad, hospital equipment mak- nesia’s fight against Covid-19. er PT Poly Jaya Medikal, electronics The nine inventions were the manufacturer PT LEN and auto- result of a consortium formed on motive holding company Dharma March 26 by the Ministry of Re- Group were among those involved search and Technology and the in the development of the four dif- National Research and Innovation ferent types of ventilators. Agency (Brin) to develop innova- Bambang estimated that the coun- tions to fight the outbreak. try would have a sufficient supply The programme involves univer- by next month and would be able to sities, government research agen- distribute the ventilators to hospi- cies and local industries – both pri- tals throughout Indonesia. vate and state-owned – including The government still needs to overcome obstacles – mainly Indonesia’s dependence on imported raw materials and bureaucracy, At least 10,000 domestically pro- to make innovations quickly and readily available on a large scale. ANTARA/THE JAKARTA POST defence firms such as state-owned duced rapid testing kits are currently arms manufacturer PT Pindad. ongoing Covid-19 struggle. “Essentially, we welcome this ini- existed to regulate the new products. undergoing validity tests at several President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said But they say the government still tiative because we are happy that He advised the Ministry of In- hospitals in Central Java. Bambang the world was competing to address needs to overcome obstacles – main- we are involved in it. But we still dustry and the National Standardi- said that authorities planned to pro- the Covid-19 epidemic and that Indo- ly Indonesia’s dependence on im- struggle to be independent in pro- sation Agency (BSN) to avoid using duce 40,000 to 50,000 rapid testing nesia “must answer it with concrete ported raw materials and bureaucra- ducing raw materials to make such foreign standards as they would halt kits and PCR testing kits each by innovations and concrete work”. cy, to make innovations quickly and products,” said Berry. the mass production process be- next month. “These products should not remain readily available on a large scale. But difficulties in procuring raw cause the products that he had seen He said these innovations would in the laboratory only or be limited to Indonesian Young Academy of Sci- materials had existed before Covid- so far had not met the international offer affordable alternatives to im- prototypes. Mass production must ence (Almi) secretary-general Berry 19. In 2018, the Ministry of Health benchmark. ported ventilators and rapid testing follow to fulfil domestic needs and Juliandi said that domestically pro- noted that about 90 per cent of the Instead, he said, a national con- kits, which are now expensive be- to possibly export [the products] to duced products such as PCR test kits country’s pharmaceutical produc- sensus on a feasible standard was cause of soaring global demand. other countries,” he said. and ventilators relied on imported tion used imported materials. needed to allow for swift production “[The expense of importing prod- Researchers, who have long criti- materials for production. Indonesia Science Academy (Aipi) without sacrificing product safety. ucts] is what motivates researchers cised the government for overlook- Some important chemicals were head Satryo Soemantri Brodjone- “We must see the urgency. We have and innovators in the country to ing how important research is for the patented, so Indonesia would need goro said producers could also face to start first and perfect the innova- try to produce them on their own,” country’s development, are praising to buy the patents before continu- difficulties when dealing with bu- tions later,” said Satryo. said Bambang. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA the efforts to include research in the ing with production. reaucracy as no national standards Minister of Research and Technol- NEWS NETWORK Revised law orders periodic gas emissions checks in VN GAS emissions from motor- bikes will be periodically checked under the revised Viet- namese Law on Road Traffic which will be submitted to the National Assembly this year to protect the environment. Under the revised law, checks will be carried out by vehicle registration agencies while Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The will stipulate moni- toring procedures. The Vietnam Register said motorbike emissions caused Motorbike emissions cause serious pollution, especially in big cities where there were a large number of motorbikes. VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY/VIET NAM NEWS serious pollution, especially in big cities where there were a Tran Khanh, deputy head of Agreeing with the added large number of motorbikes. Motor Vehicle Evaluation at the clause, Duong Van Chu, direc- However, emissions testing Vietnam Register, told atgt.vn. tor of the vehicle register centre had only been applied for new “Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh in northeastern Bac Kan prov- vehicles until now. City and Hanoi account for 25 ince, said the new content was All new motorbikes had to per cent of the total nationwide, necessary and needed a road- meet euro2 standards in 2007 so the air pollution they cause map for implementation. and euro3 in 2017. is very serious,” said Khanh. The new regulation should be Raising emissions standards Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan applied in big cities first, he said. for motorbikes had helped Phuc had already approved a Also, it was necessary to increase engine quality and project to monitor emissions closely monitor and strictly reduce pollutants in the air, from used motorbikes, he said. manage the quality of accred- said a representative of the The register had set up some iting units to ensure transpar- Vietnam Register. measures but they could not ency and effectiveness. However, the rapid increase be completed because they Meanwhile, Khuong Kim in the number of motorbikes were regulated by the existing Tao, a former official at the had led to increased emissions Law on Road Traffic. National Committee of Traffic while legal regulations did not “Now we have to wait until Safety, said the revised law cover used vehicles. the revised law is passed,” said should set the framework for “At present, the country has Khanh. motorbike emissions control. more than 50 million motorbikes He said the periodical checks “Supervising the quality of in circulation, accounting for 95 could be carried out by private periodical checks will be very per cent of motor vehicles and entities including motorbike complicated so there should be emitting 80-90 per cent carbon maintenance centres, motorbike penalties imposed for the own- monoxide [CO] and hydrocar- dealers and vehicle register cen- ers of vehicles that display signs bons [HC], and 50 per cent of tres, while state authorities would of emitting black smoke or a nitrogen oxide [NOx] of the total supervise and grant certificates worn appearance,” said Tao. VIET from all motor vehicles,” Dang for emissions standards. NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 11 Opinion

Preventing currency www.phnompenhpost.comcrisis www.phnompenhpost.com EDITORIAL PERSONNEL EDITORIAL PERSONNELthe organisation in the future to oth- Opinion Publisher & Chief Executive Offi cer er states, including emerging econo- Publisher & Chief Executive Offi cer Ly Tayseng Editorial mies that have larger economic scale. Ly Tayseng Executive Editor-in-Chief Major countries also have a signifi- Executive Editor-in-Chief Joshua purushotman APITAL outflow from cant role to play. Joshua purushotman Managing Editor Post Khmer emerging economies has The Asian financial crisis gave impe- Managing Editor Post Khmer Sam Rith been seen led by aversion to tus to create the framework for the Deputy Chief of Staff high-risk investment Sam Rith Group of 20 major economies (G20), phak Seangly promptedC by fears over the spread of Deputy Chiefjoining of Staff countries such as China with Business Editor phak Seangly the novel coronavirus. Japan, the US and European coun- May Kunmakara Business Editor According to the International tries. The Lehman shock placed even Deputy Business Editor May Kunmakara Monetary Fund (IMF), the capital more importance on the G20. Sangeetha amarthalingam Deputy Business Editor outflow spurred by the coronavirus However, solidarity among G20 Deputy Head of Lifestyle Desk Sorn Sarath shock has amounted to about $100 members has been shaken as the con- pan Simala billion. This sharp increase is said to Deputy Headfrontation of Lifestyle Desk between the US and China Senior Reporters greatly outpace the speed of the out- pan Simala intensifies. In many parts of the world, Meas Sokchea, Niem Chheng flow that happened during the so- Senior Reportersrestrictions on exporting medical sup- Reporters called Lehman shock of 2008. Meas Sokchea,plies Niem orChheng foodstuff have been intro- Khouth Sophak Chakrya, Kim Sarom, Long It is striking that some countries Reporters duced. Preventing crises must be the Kimmarita, Khorn Savi, Hin pisei, Soth have experienced significant curren- Khouth Sophakprimary Chakrya, Kim role Sarom, to be Long played by the G20. Koemsoeun, Voun Dara, Sous Yamy,Soung cy depreciation. What matters most Kimmarita, KhornIn Savi, contrast Hin pisei, to Soth developed countries Sovanny, Thou Vireak, Ry Sochan is to not let the situation develop into where the virus infections appear to Koemsoeun, Voun Dara, Sous Yamy,Soung Photographers a currency crisis. While a nation’s currency depreciation generally works favourably for the export industry have passed its peak, the infection cases Heng Chivoan, Hong Menea of the given country, if the decline goes too far, import prices will rise steeply, potentiallySovanny, Brazil’s real has depreciated against continue to spread in many emerging Web Editor causing high inflation. afp Ry Sochan the dollar by 30 per cent this year. countries. Their fragile medical system Leang phannara Photographers The situation is severe not only in is believed to be one of the reasons that Webmasters Argentina, which is mired in a debt accelerating the economic downturn. As globalisation has advanced sinceHeng Chivoan, contributed Hong Menea to the ongoing situation. Sous Chanthy, pang Vichea crisis, but also in Turkey and South A case in point is the 1997 Asian then, the nexus of economies andWeb Editor How to deal with the coronavirus is SIEM REAP BUREAU Africa. Each country should take all financial crisis. financial markets among countriesLeang has phannara a global challenge. It is important to Offi ce Manager possible measures to prevent the Triggered by the sharp currency become further deepened. A situationWebmasters work together to prepare for the sec- Sophearith Blondeel infections and stabilise its economy devaluation of the Thai baht, capital must be avoided in which the turmoilSous Chanthy, in ond pang and Vichea third wave of infections PRODUCTION & PRINTING and financial system. outflow also took place in Indonesia emerging economies will deal a further SIEM REAP BUREAUthrough the sharing of experiences Head of Desktop Publishing While a nation’s currency deprecia- and South Korea, exerting a sudden blow to the slowing global economy.Offi ce Managerand knowledge with each country. Nhim Sokphyrak tion generally works favourably for the brake on Asian economic growth. The IMF assumes a role in provid-Sophearith BlondeelThe pressing issue is how to cooper- Desktop Publishing export industry of the given country, if In Japan, stock prices fell signifi- ing financial assistance to countries ate in such activities as developing Suon Savatdy, Chum Sokunthy, Danh Borath PRODUCTION & PRINTING the decline goes too far, import prices cantly, which became one of the fac- falling into a predicament. After the vaccines and distributing them while Tep Thoeun Thyda, Tim Borith, Than Veasna Head of Desktop Publishing will rise steeply, potentially causing tors exacerbating the recession and virus outbreak, the IMF made emer- curbing protectionist moves. The Nhim Sokphyrak high inflation. The burden of repaying financial crisis that followed. The gency financing to developing coun- G20’s reason for existence is being HEAD OFFICE Desktop Publishing foreign debt in dollars and other repercussions spilled over into coun- tries in Africa, among other nations. called into question. THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN Suon Savatdy, Chum Sokunthy, Danh Borath major currencies will also increase, tries including Russia and Brazil. More assistance will be required from (JAPAN)/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Tep Thoeun Thyda, Tim Borith, Than Veasna Post Media Co, Ltd. HEAD OFFICE The Elements Condominium Level 7, Hun Sen Boulevard, Phum Prek Talong, UK will pay price for excluding Huawei Sangkat Chak Angre Krom,12353, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

FOLLOWING a January deci- “national security threat” the security threat clamour. against market economyPost Media Co, Ltd. with China, darken the UK’s Tel: 023 888 161, 023 888 162 Cellcard: 078 555 166, 078 555 133 sion to grant Chinese tele- argument is rapidly poison- But Huawei accepted that rules, but also a Thevery Elements unfriend Condominium- post-Brexit Level 7, economic pros- Smart: 086 822 999, 086 277 999 communications equipment ing Huawei’s international conditional involvement – at ly gesture againstHun the Sen latter’s Boulevard , Phumpects, Prek Talong, and erode confidence SIEM REAP supplier Huawei a limited business environment. What least it wasn’t complete country of origin.Sangkat Chak Angre Krom,in Phnomthe UK’s Penh, long-standing rep- No 629, Street 6 Dangkum Commune role in the UK’s 5G networks, the British government is exclusion. Since the ChineseCambodia govern- utation as a market economy. Tel: 063 966 290, Fax: 063 966 590 Downing Street is reportedly allegedly planning comes as What is reportedly happen- ment has attached SIEM great REAP sig- British telecom operators planning for the company’s a further stab in the compa- ing now, however, is differ- nificance to the way Huawei is from EE to Three have aired COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT No 629, Street 6 Dangkum Commune full phaseout from those net- ny’s back following the latest ent. It means significant treated overseas, and literally concerns about the high cost Chief Operating Offi cer Tel: 063 966 290, Fax: 063 966 590 works by 2023. US attempt to cut the com- escalation of discriminative taken it increasingly as a test of replacing Huawei. They are James Ong Soon Teck COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT If true, this would be a very pany’s supply lines. government interference, stone of bilateral ties, its reac- foremost victims of politiciza- Advertising Department costly policy reversal that The British government’s which almost certainly will tion to such a decisionChief Operating should Offi cer tion, along with the numerous Chap Narith, 017 996 241 Hun Channet, 017 578 768 would cause an all-lose scenar- January decision that exclud- meet retaliatory responses be easy to predict.James Ong Soon Teck customers waiting for the prach Monnyreak, 012 123 7777 io for all stakeholders, and one ed Huawei from supplying from Beijing. Losing the UKAdvertising market Department will broadband access Prime Min- Keo puthy, 012 966 605 whose ramifications would “core” technologies and While the UK is no doubt no doubt be a heavyChap Narith, blow 017 to 996 241ister Boris Johnson promised. phon Sok Chea, 012 717 404 undoubtedly ripple far beyond equipment and capped its hoping that toeing the US Huawei. But HuaweiHun Channet, won’t 017 be 578 768 For the governments in Jessa piastro, 092 445 983 technological concerns. market share to 35 per cent, line on Huawei will help it the sole loser. prach Monnyreak, 012 123Beijing 7777 and London, this is CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION Huawei may have dreamed wasn’t fair at all. All the allega- Besides satisfying CIRCULATION the Chi- & DISTRIBUTIONultimately a matter of trust. gain a favourable trade deal Acting Distribution Manager Acting Distribution Manager of being what it is today – a tions against the company with the US, with which it na hawks in Washington and Once trust is gone, all the Thenh Rithy, 087 888 854 Thenh Rithy leading global 5G solutions appear to have been built on began negotiations this London’s political offices, rhetoric about collaboration Circulation Supervisor provider – and a flag-flyer for the fears that Huawei may month, the benefits are likely such a decision ADMINISTRATIONwill deliver will sound hollow. Nou Chanthy, 096 999 2828 Chinese high technology. But become a prevailing presence to be offset by the losses. little benefit to theAdmin UK & HR itself. Manager At a time when the world Yim Veasna, 015 814 499 in realising that ambition, in Western telecommunica- Unlike working together to Kicking out Huaweipich Socheat equip- badly needs solidarity amid a ADMINISTRATION the company has become tions networks, and that Chi- address misgivings regarding ment from BritishAssistants networks to Admin & HRdevastating Manager pandemic, a Admin & HR Manager politicised beyond anyone’s na has a strong government. security, pushing a certain will considerablyNhel increase Soaphea the decision like this will only pich Socheat imagination. Except for that, there has company out of a country’s financial burdens for service worsen the atmosphere for Financial Director Assistants to Admin & HR Manager Under mounting pressure been no credible evidence market simply because of its providers, delay 5G rollout in international cooperation. Heang Tangmeng Nhel Soaphea from Washington, the offered whatsoever despite all national identity is not only the country, hurt relations CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Financial Director Chief Accountant Heang Tangmeng Sren Vicheka Chief Accountant Treasurers Sren Vicheka Sok Sophorn, Yon Sovannara, Treasurers Cheam Sopheak Sok Sophorn, Yon Sovannara, IT Manager Cheam Sopheak, Huy Hamsovannary Seng Nak, Vong Oun IT Manager Seng Nak, Vong Oun TO CONTACT US [email protected] TO CONTACT US [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.phnompenhpost.com www.phnompenhpost.com © Post Media Co, Ltd © Post Media Co, Ltd The Phnom Penh Post is wholly owned The Phnom Penh Post is wholly owned and printed by Post Media Co Ltd. The and printed by Post Media Co Ltd. The title The Phnom Penh Post in either title The Phnom Penh Post in either English or Khmer languages, its associ- English or Khmer languages, its associ- ated logos or devices and the contents of ated logos or devices and the contents of this publication may not be reproduced this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written in whole or in part without the written consent of Post Media Co Ltd. consent of Post Media Co Ltd. www.phnompenhpost.com www.phnompenhpost.com 12 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Lifestyle Project educates girls about virus dangers

Hong Raksmey “One of our first hotline callers was a mother with a 15-year-old daughter T WAS early April this year and a young baby. She had fled from when AusCam Freedom Project her home as her (second) husband (AFP) started the Emergency tried to sexually assault her daughter Response programme, which while she was at work,” says Dowse. Iis used as a vehicle to distribute ur- She says the problem arose from gent relief packages of basic food the fact that the teenager was not and medical supplies in light of the in school and was left alone in the Covid-19 pandemic. house with her step-father. Each relief package differs depend- In this situation, the young girl is ing on a family’s particular needs. But susceptible to abuse or exploitation typically, it includes hygiene supplies as there was the potential for the such as soap and hand sanitisers, in- perpetrator to sell her to traffickers formative materials on coronavirus who are preying on family vulner- prevention, urgent crisis interven- ability during this crisis. tion support, and food items. Dowse says in one of the families, “What started as a simple relief a girl and her brother needed to effort more than 50 days ago has work to support their family due to turned into an organised and strate- the Covid-19 pandemic as their fa- gic operation to save girls from traf- ther has fallen ill and can no longer ficking, hunger and other dangers. work. Her mother also had to stop “It includes hygiene supplies to selling food to care for her husband. avoid infection, Covid-19 safety in- “The AFP social worker is now formation and food staples,” says working with the local authorities to Julie Dowse, the AFP founder. secure the girl’s protection and the Dowse says on its website: “On the family is receiving food assistance, first day we launched our response including baby formula while they strategy, 85 families advised us they develop a long-term plan. had lost their main source of in- “So far, we have managed to reach come and had minimal food left to over 180 families and the list is grow- feed their families. ing,” says Dowse. “Many who had young babies had The founder tells The Post that no money to purchase baby formu- Girls at the AusCam Freedom Project learn about avoiding the dangers of Covid-19. supplied AFP currently partners with five la. Within a few more days this rose government schools and two private to 141 families.” Julie Dowse has spent the majority through leadership training, men- ventions for those deemed at-risk. schools in the Chamkarmon, Dang- A single mother, one of the pro- of her professional life in the child toring and other opportunities. “There are greater difficulties in kor and Stung Meanchey districts of gramme beneficiaries, who runs a welfare and child protection sector, Shine is a one-to-one mentor- accessing health services, in addi- Phnom Penh. small business, has lost a large portion working for Barnardos Australia as a ing programme that also provides tion to increased burdens for exam- “The girls we support are assessed by of her income with the loss of busi- foster career for 13 years and in their educational resources, supplies and ple separation from caregivers due our social workers and are considered ness during this time, Dowse says. administration team for five years. psychosocial support through an to quarantine or severe illnesses or to be at-risk due to their family back- The relief package has allowed the Dowse also worked with the Aus- individualised case management death,” says Teerman. grounds including poverty, single- family to reduce their expenses on tralian Red Cross in managing a model to at-risk girls to keep them She says that based on studies parent households, living with grand- groceries and save for rent, electric- residential home for adolescent girls in school and protect them from from national and international parents or living far from their schools ity and water bills. who were either pregnant or parents. trafficking and exploitation. sources, AFP predicted that Covid- and a variety of other concerns. Part of the Shine Scholarship Pro- She earned a Master of Arts degree in “We know that access to education 19, like any crisis, has a strong im- “We currently have 165 girls en- gramme, the woman had enrolled in Child Protection Investigation. alone cannot be a solution so SHE en- pact on gender norms and exacer- rolled in our school scholarship pro- 2014 and is currently in her second AFP was founded in January 2012 ables girls to make key life decisions bates gender-based violence. gramme. They receive psychosocial year at university. She was quoted as in response to an identified need to independently, realise their full poten- “As livelihoods are affected, inti- support and school materials. saying: “After receiving the package, have a transitional home for ado- tial and develop the skills needed to mate partner violence may increase. “Last year, AFP also supported over I learnt more about hygiene prac- lescent girls who were in after-care become leaders in their communities,” Further, self-isolation may increase 700 girls with life skills education, ca- tices and how to cope with it during shelters, following their rescue from says Jessie Teerman, its development the psychological impacts of vio- reer counselling, girls clubs and other Covid-19.” trafficking and/or exploitation. director, who is also based in Sydney. lence as well as the severity and fre- supplementary support,” she says. Another student works as a part- Dowse says: “This was the next “We do not run a residential pro- quency of the violence taking place. Like many businesses as well as time assistant teacher to help afford stage in their rehabilitation, but with gramme. All girls we serve live with- “Violence and other forms of child the NGO sector, revenue and dona- extra classes. But due to the pandem- a strong focus on education, life skills in their family units or with guard- abuse may increase at the family lev- tions have been severely impacted ic, schools have shut, leaving her un- and vocational training to build their ians. Our staff conduct home visits el. The closure of schools and other due to the pandemic. able to attend or earn any money. capacity and enable them to reinte- to ensure girls are safe and have the issues surrounding Covid-19 which With the generosity of people and Her mother suffers from kidney is- grate into their local communities.” means to attend school,” she says. may have a negative economic im- businesses in Australia, the US and sues and requires daily medication. Two programmes are being im- During the pandemic, children are pact may increase the likelihood of Cambodia supporting the Covid-19 Unfortunately, her condition has plemented under the basic proj- particularly vulnerable with school survival sex, transactional sex and response strategy, AFP is also form- gotten worse and many other mem- ect. Shine focuses on keeping girls closures as school-based services are risk of sexual exploitation and abuse ing its long term vision. bers of the family have also lost their in school and SHE empowers girls interrupted along with other inter- in the community,” Teerman says. “We need donors to also think about primary sources of income, putting Along with the relief packages, a helping us build our economic sus- a strain on their finances. crisis hotline was launched. It aimed tainability to ensure our programmes “Our staff are working closely with to reach as many women and girls can pick up once everything returns to this family and helping to take her as possible to mitigate the risk of normal,” says Dowse. mother to the hospital to seek medi- exploitation and trafficking of those “Our staff work tirelessly to ensure cal attention. that are vulnerable. that girls are safe while schools are “The family was in desperate need, Hundreds of girls also receive phone closed. We are continuing to as- but now after receiving a relief pack- credits to reach their hotline’s social semble relief packages, operate our age, they can remain inside and re- worker round-the-clock, who will 24-hour hotline for crisis interven- duce any exposure to the virus with provide immediate crisis intervention tion and collaborate with national the concern of their mother’s ill- to families at the greatest risk. and international partner organisa- ness,” says Dowse, who is also AFP’s Dowse tells The Post: “We are now tions to serve as many girls and their International Programmes director. operating a Women and Girls Crisis families as possible. The AFP itself is an international Hotline (011 444 080) to provide cri- “Your financial support is essen- NGO that works to prevent the traf- sis intervention and offer our target- tial for doing this and building a ficking and exploitation of adolescent ed population with immediate food, stronger Cambodia for post-Covid- girls from ages 12-25, which are the health and safety.” 19. Just $49 can supply a month’s most vulnerable ages before it begins. She says the crisis hotline will help worth of food to a family in need,” Dowse and her husband Geoff identify the needs of communities says Dowse. founded AFP while they were living before, during and after Covid-19. The For more information about Aus- and working in Phnom Penh. project provides short-term urgent Cam Freedom Project or to offer a Originally from Sydney, the Dowses relief supplies, support and referrals. donation for teenage girls and their spent four years in Cambodia build- But more importantly, it also of- families, visit their website at https:// ing up AFP’s national team before re- fers long-term resources for girls to www.auscamfreedomproject.org/ turning to Australia to advocate, raise ensure they remain safe, can return The hotline number is 011 444 080 funds and develop strategic partner- to school and pursue a brighter fu- and is now open for any women or ships for the organisation. AFP’s SHE programme empowers girls through mentorship training. supplied ture after the virus dies down. girls requiring assistance. THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 13 Lifestyle

Grab’s Pham Quoc Viet has applied first aid to hundreds of fellow riders in Hanoi. AFP Pham Quoc Viet closes an ambulance door after helping a victim of a traffic accident. AFP Hanoi’s motorbike taxis ride to the rescue

N the tarmac of a handlebars as he patrols the nance and numbers so great dents too who form a network said. “The man told me his drivers suffered considerably dark Hanoi street, streets on two wheels. that pedestrians struggle to of eyes on the ground and so- foot was in pain but there was during the pandemic. motorbike taxi “When I first came to Hanoi cross roads and minor scrapes cial media. no blood and the bone wasn’t “We earned much less driver Pham Quoc to work, I thought about what are an everyday hazard. Many of the team have been broken. He could not stand money … it was very difficult VietO mops the bloodied knee I could do to help those I saw Although more serious ac- trained in first aid, largely by up or walk, though. but all of us have overcome of a fellow rider, one of the injured in accidents,” said Viet, cidents are now relatively Viet at weekly sessions, and “I hadn’t seen anything like it,” said Viet, explaining that hundreds of traffic victims who moved to the city in 2017. rare in the capital, victims they keep each other up to that before, so I had to make a most continued to patrol and he’s tended to in the chaoti- The year before, he had often face a challenging wait date via Vietnamese messag- video call to Viet.” buy supplies despite their re- cally congested Vietnamese been involved in a serious for help as congestion blocks ing app Zalo. Viet and his team are cur- duced income. capital. motorbike crash that saw him the path of medics and fear of Nguyen Le Giang, 34, who rently helping around 100 And there was no discrimi- By day, Viet, 33, works for sprawled on the roadside, litigation prevents onlookers worked at a textile workshop people a month, with each nation when it came to who Southeast Asian ride-hail- glimpsing passers-by too from offering a hand. before starting as a Grab bike member spending up to $2 they treated. ing firm Grab Holdings Inc, afraid to come to his aid. After starting his rescue driver three years ago, pushed daily on equipment such as “Some members asked me scooting along the tree-lined “I remember that desperate work alone, Viet now has a her husband and mother to bandages, usually around a ‘if the injured are not motor- boulevards and winding al- feeling when someone walks on team of close to 50 volun- help around the house and tenth of their income. bike taxi drivers, why should leys of the city. by . . . I didn’t want anyone else teers, most of whom work in with caring for her two chil- Although Hanoi’s streets we care about them?’ I told But from 9:30pm until to get into the same situation Hanoi. dren so she could join the are once again bustling after them: ‘Imagine those people 1:30am, he is an unofficial and feel abandoned,” he said. Two-thirds are ride-hailing nightly patrol. a weeks-long social isolation were your relatives, your emergency responder, a red There are six million motor- drivers, but there are engi- “The first time I gave first order was lifted at the end friends, would you still say flashing light secured to his bikes in Hanoi, their domi- neers, mechanics and stu- aid I was a bit scared,” she of last month, ride-hailing that?’” AFP Gobbling up ghosts: Pac-Man reaches 40 FORTY years ago, a new video terview with Wired magazine. game featuring a bright yellow, dot- The first edition was placed in a chomping, ghost-dodging character cinema in the trendy Tokyo district called Pac-Man appeared in Tokyo. of Shibuya rather than a male-dom- It would become the most success- inated arcade to test the target audi- ful arcade game of all time. ence, he said. The hero – shaped like a mouth “The women and couples were opening and closing – races around very happy about the machine, a maze noisily gobbling dots and very excited. They came up to it and occasionally fruit for extra points, put their hands on it, so we thought all the while avoiding four cunning that our target concept had been ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky very much in sync and correct,” and Clyde. said Iwatani. As every Pac-Man player knows, Hard-core gamers turned up their the greatest joy comes from turning noses but “it was for people who the tables by munching a power pel- didn’t play games on a daily basis – let, sending the ghosts fleeing in all women, children, the elderly”. directions as they suddenly become The idea of Pac-Man turning the edible themselves. tables on his spooky tormentors The game was originally called came from the cartoon series Pop- Puck-Man (an onomatopoeic play eye, where the nautical hero is only on the Japanese word ‘paku’, mean- able to take on his nemesis Bluto ing to gobble) but it was changed after a healthy dose of spinach, Iwa- when it launched in the United tani explained. States for fear gamers would inevi- ‘Colourful and cute’ tably change the ‘P’ to an ‘F’. An employee at the Museum of Modern Art in New York plays Pac-Man, the most successful arcade game of all time. AFP Game designer Toru Iwatani came From these humble beginnings, up with the shape for the adorable Pac-Man would go on to be recog- The firm claims the loveable char- ing the real streets of a city into a every dot, fruit and ghost possible. hero when he took a small slice from nised by Guinness World Records as acter has a brand recognition of 90 labyrinth to gobble up pellets and Pac-Man’s 40th was celebrated with a pizza and realised the remainder the most successful coin-operated per cent around the world – “one of ghosts. a special Twitter hashtag in Japan, looked like a wide-open mouth. arcade game of all time. the most recognised on the planet”. Wired reported that the “perfect with fans all over the country wish- Pac-Man was aimed at women It has spawned several spin-offs, To celebrate the game’s 30th birth- score” is 3,333,360 points – possible ing their hero a happy birthday. and couples – a different audience including Pac ‘n Roll, Ms Pac-Man, day, Google unveiled its first-ever only by getting to the “kill screen” “The characters are colourful and to the violent alien shoot-em-ups Pac-in-Time and Pac Panic – a mas- playable “Doodle” and the internet level 256 – at which a glitch prevents cute. It was so fun. I remember I played popular in Japanese arcades at the sive money spinner for creators giant also rolled out a version of the the game from progressing any fur- a lot at my relative’s house. Happy time, Iwatani explained in a 2010 in- Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. game for its Maps service – turn- ther –without losing a life and eating birthday Pac-Man!” said one. AFP 14 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Lifestyle Thinking caps

Some scientists and health organisations have started retaliating to online waves of virus misinformation. AFP Scientists fight online virus misinformation war on social media ITH cat photos viewed research, it said. tors and researchers who can and sometimes Rigorous and time-heavy have a strong influence online. scathing irony, scientific studies and publica- Last week, Dutch microbi- Mathieu Rebe- tions, however, compete with ologist Elisabeth Bik tweeted “WARNING!” Waud, a Swiss-based research- the immediacy of social media a one-sentence summary of er in biochemistry, has nearly and a public often demanding a vast study on the effects of ACROSS 52 Straight from the bottle 21 Colored eye area tripled his Twitter following firm and definitive answers. antiviral drugs chloroquine 1 Office fill-in 53 Bizarre 22 1/20 ton (abbr.) since the coronavirus pan- “How do we communi- and hydroxychloroquine, just 5 Insignificant 55 Append 26 Legendary soprano Pons demic began. cate in this context of radi- hours after its release. 9 Big name in photography 57 Insignificant train station 27 Poet Edgar ___ Poe With 14,000 followers, he cal uncertainty?” asked Mi- Her tweet – “Each drug 14 It may be last on a list 62 Tennis pro Sharapova 28 Adult nit posts almost daily, giving kael Chambru, a scientific combination was associated 15 Guinness of acting legend 64 Bird with three toes 29 Maneuver used in golf and explanations on the latest communication specialist at with *lower* survival and 16 “Fame” singer Cara 65 Tiny amount football scientific research and, in France’s University of Greno- more ventricular arrhyth- 17 Distinct atmosphere 66 Twang, as a guitar 30 One spelling for a Muslim prince 67 Change letter spacing 31 Become permanent particular, aims to fight mis- ble Alpes. mias.” – sparked a lively and 18 Transmission element 19 Largest of the Greek Islands 68 Ruin James Bond’s martini? 32 Hogwash information that spreads as wide-ranging debate online. 69 Half of a Jane Austen title 35 “Broom-Hilda” creator Myers fast as the virus itself. No choice 20 Defenseless target Education 23 Die spot 70 Uttered 36 World Baseball Classic team He is among a growing Jean-Francois Chambon, a 24 Serving platters 71 Throw softly 39 Townshend of “The Who” number of doctors, academ- doctor and director of com- Scientists involved in the 25 Red Riding Hood’s nemesis DOWN 41 Mississippi politico James ics and institutions who in munications at the Pasteur debate want to forge a “cul- 27 Even if 1 Afternoon social gatherings 44 Come back to life recent weeks have adapted Institute in Paris, said he had ture of science” among the 30 In the beginning 2 Decorative needle and scissors 46 Mall map word and amplified their scientific no choice but to forcefully public to help them under- 33 Ed’s Grant, on TV case 49 Unspecific degree messaging in hopes of coun- deny a widely shared video in stand what they hear and 34 Watery blood fluid 3 Emporium 51 Go kicking and screaming tering what has been termed March accusing the institu- read, said Chambru. 37 Big name in baseball cards 4 River to the Missouri 53 “Barbarella” actor 54 Where babies come from an ‘infodemic’ – a deluge of tion of having “created” the Rather than simply impos- 38 Sugar bowl block 5 Powerful people 6 Pensive piece of poetry 55 Bands’ accessories information, including wide- new coronavirus. ing the view of a leading au- 40 “Wake Up Little ___” (Everly Brothers hit) 7 Understands, as sheet music 56 Author Carnegie spread false claims, which “We must go to any lengths” thority without any explana- 42 Himalayan monster 8 Shade of beige 58 Exasperates experts say can pose a serious to debunk the lies, he said. tion, they aim to help people 43 “___ your instructions ...” 9 Begin 59 Dog that survived a tornado threat to public health. The institute created a web understand how science 45 “The Divine” Vaughan 10 NHL legend Bobby 60 Their cars go straight up in the To cut through the noise page dedicated to educating works including the need for 47 Type of code 11 Suspended animation air however, it is imperative to the public about the virus, studies to abide by rules and 48 Makes tidy 12 Naysayer’s position 61 Golf averages work quickly and maximise so- said Chambon. “We realised standards, he said. 50 Calm or tranquil 13 Remain unspoiled 63 Powers that be cial media engagement to get that there was a lot of ‘fake Ganascia agreed: “The po- simple prevention messages news’ on the subject.” sition of authority would be Tuesday’s solution across to the public, research- The Pasteur Institute cur- extremely unpopular with the ers and specialists have said. rently has a combined 16,000 public.” University of Helsinki re- new subscribers a month on Rebeaud, the biochemistry searcher Kinga Polynczuk- its social media networks, he researcher popular on Twitter, Alenius said: “In the case said, compared with 4,000 said he was much less present of the Covid-19 pandemic, before the pandemic. on social media before the conspiracy theories provide Jean-Gabriel Ganascia, pandemic but had felt drawn complete, simple, seemingly chairman of the ethics com- to defend science. rationalistic and watertight mittee at France’s National The battle however feels un- explanations. Centre for Scientific Research, balanced, said the researcher, “This is in stark contrast to agreed that the scientific who works at the University the available scientific knowl- community must counterat- of Lausanne in Switzerland. edge – complex, fragmented, tack in such situations. “Dismantling nonsense changeable and contested “We don’t have a choice,” he takes 10 times more energy – and to the actions of politi- said. than spreading it,” he said, Tuesday’s solution cal decision-makers and state Earlier this month, the Red agreeing with the findings of authorities, which appear Cross launched what it said a 2018 study by the magazine haphazard and self-contra- was the first global network Science which noted that “lies dictory,” she said. of social media influencers spread faster than the truth”. In February, British medical to battle misinformation and Some scientists have called for journal The Lancet warned spread lifesaving content a review of science education so that “the rapid dissemination about the pandemic. that the public is less permeable of trustworthy information” Meanwhile, the World to false information. was needed most during a Health Organisation has en- Information campaigns period of uncertainty. tered into an agreement with “cannot be perceived as an This includes transparent Facebook to transmit infor- exclusive antidote to fight identification of cases, data mation directly to users via fake news”, said Italian com- sharing and unhampered com- personal message services. munications researcher Ma- munication, as well as peer-re- But it is often individual doc- falda Sandrini. AFP THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 15 Sport Aussie NRL to make against-the-odds return

USTRALIA’S National Rugby League (NRL) has battled player scandals, top-level resignations and dire finan- cialA revelations during the coronavirus shutdown, but against the odds it re- turns this week to bring relief to team owners and a sports-starved nation. The fledgling season had seen two rounds of matches when it was sus- pended on March 24 and will have a different feel when it resumes with Brisbane Broncos hosting Parra- matta Eels behind closed doors on Thursday. An “NRL island” off the Queen- sland coast, where all 16 teams would have been kept in isolation, had been considered. But Australia’s success in contain- ing the virus has allowed the league instead to play in two states – New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland – under strict health measures, with a Grand Final planned for October 25. The New Zealand Warriors will be encamped in rural Tamworth, about 420km north of Sydney, while Mel- bourne Storm have moved to Albury on the Victoria-NSW border. Teams may struggle to match the off-field drama that has unfolded since the enforced shutdown. “I can’t stress enough that our game has never faced such challeng- es,” Australian Rugby League Com- mission chairman Peter V’landys warned in March. V’landys has remained bullish in the face of criticism, pushing for a May 28 kickoff even though many warned it was potentially dangerous in a global health emergency. A successful resumption will give Brisbane Broncos’ Brent Tate (right) will be on the pitch when his team takes on Parramatta behind closed doors on Thursday. AFP the NRL a head start in Australia’s in- tensely competitive sporting market. eral times, to the ire of officials. A group of players organised a nances, with V’landys warning there strike over a decision to use only Australian Rules football this week “That authority has not been pro- camping trip away, while Penrith’s was little left in the bank from rich one on-field official. revealed fixtures for a June 12 restart, vided and no amount of reporting it Nathan Cleary was hit with a two- broadcast deals, and that clubs After achieving the restart against but no dates have yet been set for Su- will change those restrictions,” an match ban for partying with a group could go under. all expectations, V’landys could be per Rugby and football’s A-League. exasperated Prime Minister Scott of women at his house. Free-to-air broadcaster Nine ac- forgiven for simply relaxing. Morrison told reporters after the Problems continued to mount as cused a “bloated head office” of squan- Instead, he continues to push Lockdown scandals NRL prematurely said Canberra had preparations were being finalised, with dering hundreds of millions of dollars. boundaries, saying he regretted au- Thrashing out the strict health cleared the Warriors to participate. the NRL confirming on Tuesday that Former CEO Todd Greenberg paid the thorising the shutdown in the first protocols and obtaining the special There were also warnings from Cronulla Sharks teen centre Bronson price when he quit last month. place and insisting crowds would be permissions needed for the Auck- state and federal ministers that the Xerri had been provisionally suspend- There has also been a protracted back in the stands by July 1. land-based Warriors to enter the competition would be scrapped if ed after testing positive for steroids. pay dispute, a stand-off with play- “We’re on the moon, we’re look- country was a protracted process, a string of lockdown breaches by A major factor in NRL’s eagerness ers over compulsory flu vaccina- ing for Mars now,” he told Fairfax with the NRL jumping the gun sev- high-profile players continued. to resume was the game’s shaky fi- tions and threats by referees to Media. AFP Kvitova would ‘cancel’ Grand Slams held without fans TWO-time Wimbledon winner eight women in separate had a good thing about it. Petra Kvitova said on Monday draws but there will be no “I don’t have to wear a she would prefer Grand Slam spectators or handshakes. make-up.” tennis tournaments did not There will be referees and take place as opposed to playing ball boys at the tournament, ‘Not the same thing’ them behind closed doors due but they will not hand towels World No3 Karolina Plisko- to the coronavirus pandemic. to those on the court. va has pulled out of the wom- Speaking on the eve of her Kvitova said: “It’s not ethical en’s hardcourt draw as she court return in an all-Czech not to shake hands and just recovers from a back injury, tournament the 30-year-old give a racquet bump, I think while 18th-ranked Marketa echoed the thoughts of Roger that’s the most unpleasant Vondrousova is getting ready Federer, who said last week he thing I’m in for.” for the final exams at her sec- would be against the idea of Sports came to a halt in Kvi- ondary school. an empty Roland Garros or tova’s homeland, where the The men’s part will be played Flushing Meadows. virus has claimed 300 deaths on clay. Kvitova said: “I have my age from 9,000 confirmed cases, in “It won’t be the same thing and of course I would like to play mid-March. as a regular tournament,” said another Grand Slam, but if it’s Kvitova said: “We are here to Jiri Vesely, the 65th-ranked top like this, I’d rather cancel them. reintroduce tennis not only to seed, who won this year’s ATP “Playing a Grand Slam is the the Czech Republic, but also tournament in Pune, India. greatest thing there is and to the world. “There are no points to play playing without fans who are “The hardest thing will be to for, no plot, there will be no our engine doesn’t look nice find the rhythm, we haven’t fans. But of course we are look- to me and the Grand Slam played a match for a very long ing forward to the games and doesn’t deserve it.” time,” said Kvitova, who faces we’ll try to play our best ten- This year’s French Open has doubles specialist Barbora nis,” added Vesely, who spent been moved to September, Krejcikova in her opening con- the enforced break with his Wimbledon has been cancelled test on Tuesday. 15-month-old daughter. and the WTA tour will not “I hope nobody expects us to “You don’t have much time resume until at least July 20 due play fantastic tennis, because for that during your regular to the Covid-19 outbreak. it may happen or it may not,” season. It was simply great. This week’s competition in added the world No12, wearing And my shape? You’ll see,” he Czech Petra Kvitova said she would rather Grand Slams are scrapped than played without fans. AFP Prague has eight men and a face mask which, she said, said. AFP 16 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 27, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Sport Saliva ban may make cricket ‘boring’, says Aussie Mitchell Starc

USTRALIAN pace- ing,” he told reporters in an But he said if bowlers were man Mitchell Starc online press conference. disadvantaged by a saliva warned on Tuesday “Otherwise people aren’t going ban, they should be given that cricket risks to be watching it and kids aren’t more leeway elsewhere. becomingA “pretty boring” if going to want to be bowlers. The 30-year-old said ground ball-tampering rules are not “In Australia in the last cou- staff could be ordered not to relaxed in response to a cor- ple of years we’ve had some produce batsman-friendly onavirus-linked ban on using pretty flat wickets, and if that flat wickets, or ball-tampering saliva to shine the ball. ball’s going straight it’s a pret- rules could be changed allow- The International Cricket ty boring contest.” ing a substance such as wax Council (ICC) is set to implement Earlier this week, ICC crick- could be applied to the ball. the ban in June after receiving et committee chairman Anil “It’s an unusual time for the medical advice that spit poses a Kumble said the saliva ban world and if they’re going to re- Covid-19 transmission risk. was only intended to be a move saliva shining for a por- Bowlers traditionally get the temporary measure during tion of time they need to think ball to move in the air, deceiv- the coronavirus crisis. of something else for that por- ing the batsman, by shining The former Indian Test tion of time as well,” he said. one side using sweat or saliva. spinner suggested cricket “[Either] with the wickets Starc said swinging the ball regulators did not want to not being as flat or at least in such a manner was a cru- open the door to using for- considering this shining wax.” cial part of the contest be- eign substances to alter the Australian cricket ball man- tween bowler and batsman. condition of the ball. ufacturer Kookaburra Sport “We don’t want to lose that Starc said he understood Pty Ltd is developing a wax or make it less even, so there such reluctance, given the applicator that allows players needs to be something in clear rules that exist against to shine the ball without us- place to keep that ball swing- ball tampering. ing saliva. AFP Australia’s Mitchell Starc thinks the ban on saliva will tilt the odds towards batsmen. AFP

Pitcher Kota Nakagawa and his Yomiuri Giants teammates Football makes gleeful return to will return to the diamond in June. AFP coronavirus-scarred Wuhan FOR nearly three months, foot- ground garage to do exercise.” Professional footballers ball enthusiasts in Wuhan, China Another player who finally were affected too. were left kicking their heels in- enjoyed a run-out on a warm Wang Shuang, a Wuhan na- doors as the coronavirus raged in evening under floodlights tive and star of China’s wom- the city at the former epicentre of said it was liberating to be en’s team, who are pushing the outbreak in the country. able to kick a ball again with for a place at the Tokyo Olym- But since the harsh lock- friends and teammates. pics, resorted to kicking a ball down on the city of 11 mil- They did so without their against a wall on a roof. lion people ended early last masks covering their faces, al- Chinese Super League (CSL) month, amateur footballers though some players kept them team Wuhan Zall and third- have been gleefully ripping dangling around their necks. tier Wuhan Three Towns have off their face masks and lac- “Before the lockdown was both returned to the central ing up their boots again. lifted everyone felt so op- city after being forced to train Wang Zijun, 42, said: “It was pressed,” said the 45-year- elsewhere at the height of the a long time to be in lockdown old, who would only give the outbreak. so we had to do some exercise surname Wen. The CSL season was sup- at home. “We need to do physical posed to begin on February “I used to juggle the ball with exercise. After the lockdown 22 but has been indefinitely Japanese baseball to return my son at home and pass the was lifted, we resumed train- postponed by the health ball to each other, and some- ing one time per week. I’m alert, which has since eased JAPAN’S professional baseball announce a return to action the state of emergency for the times we went to the under- very happy.” in China. AFP league will start its coronavi- since the pandemic began its greater Tokyo and hard-hit rus-delayed season on June sweep around the world. northern Hokkaido region, 19, but without spectators, the The virus has killed hun- although the government still sport’s governing body said on dreds of thousands, infected asked the public to observe Monday, as a nationwide state millions and decimated the good hygiene practices and of emergency was lifted. annual sporting calendar in- social distancing steps. Nippon Professional Base- ternationally. Japan has started to see ball (NPB) said it hoped the It forced a one-year delay of the number of new corona- games, which will start three the summer Tokyo Olympics, virus infections fall in recent months later than scheduled, and suspended everything weeks, with the capital Tokyo will boost public morale and from Japan’s professional foot- only reporting a handful of also provide guidelines for the ball league and sumo to the new cases in recent days. resumption of other sports. summer high-school baseball Saito previously said base- “We are happy to announce tournament – an enormously ball officials were monitoring our decision to open the sea- popular event that annually the experience of Taiwan and son,” said commissioner Atsu- receives wall-to-wall live tele- South Korea, where profession- shi Saito in a statement, “but vision coverage. al teams have already resumed we are also aware that it is Before the shortened 120- playing behind closed doors. most important for us to oper- game season starts, the Japan has seen a smaller ate carefully so that we protect leagues will hold “practice outbreak than in comparable the health of players, staff and games” from June 2 through countries, with 16,581 infec- their families with thorough 14, said the NPB. tions and 830 deaths, shows and careful preparation”. The announcement came a tally kept by Johns Hopkins Baseball is the first major as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe University based in the US professional sport in Japan to announced his decision to lift state of Maryland. AFP Amateur footballers return to their recreational pitches as coronavirus fears ease in Wuhan. AFP