TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent Issue Number 3675 / 4000 RIEL Covid rattles business confidence May Kunmakara es are optimistic about future has proven resilient, outper- for the first time in three dec- es behind this decline. economic recovery as 56 per forming predicted contrac- ades, with crucial sectors such “However, given that our WITH economic uncertainty cent plan to invest further in tions, and is expected to make as manufacturing, construc- members are concentrated in brought about by the spread the Kingdom over the next 12 a sharp recovery this year. tion and tourism especially sectors heavily impacted by of Covid-19 pandemic, the months, the trade body said in While this illustrates the per- bruised, it added. the pandemic – services, edu- Kingdom’s 2021 business con- its Business Confidence Survey severance of businesses through “According to our members, cation, tourism and hospital- PLEAS FOR HELP fidence index fell to 46.1 per 2021: In the Time of Covid-19. these perilous times, the global confidence in the Cambodian ity – the decline in confidence cent from 52.9 per cent in Conducted from November pandemic has still caused sub- market has declined – at least is less severe than might be AS COVID CASES 2019, according to the Euro- 26 to January 11 with respons- stantial unforeseen socio-eco- temporarily. The economic expected,” it said. pean Chamber of Commerce es from over 350 businesses in nomic disruptions, it said. challenges, complexity and The survey showed a decrease IN PRISONS SEE in Cambodia (EuroCham). EuroCham’s ranks, the survey Last year witnessed the uncertainty caused by Covid- WORRYING RISE On the other hand, business- said the Kingdom’s economy Cambodian economy shrink 19 are likely the driving forc- CONTINUED – page 6 NATIONAL – page 3 China allows couples to have three children as birthrate falls CHINA will allow couples to have three children after a census showed DIRECTORATE: its population is rapidly ageing, state- run Xinhua News Agency said on May TAKE NOTE OF 31, further unwinding four decades of strict family planning controls in UK’S NEW AGRI the world’s most populous nation. In 2016 China relaxed its “one- IMPORT RULES child policy”, allowing couples to have two children as concerns BUSINESS – page 6 mounted over an ageing workforce and economic stagnation. But annual births have continued to plummet to a record low of 12 million in 2020, Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics said in May, as the cost of liv- ing rises and women increasingly make their own family planning choices. China’s fertility rate stands at 1.3 – below the level needed to maintain a stable population, the figures revealed. The slump threatens a demographic crisis which has alarmed President Xi CANADA FINDS Bowled over Jinping’s ruling Communist Party, risking a shortage of young workers to drive an Two young men ride a motorbike trailer loaded with packages of styrofoam bowls along Veng Sreng Street in southern Phnom Penh’s economy experts say will have to support REMAINS OF 215 Meanchey district on Monday. HONG MENEA hundreds of millions of elderly by 2050. KIDS’ BODIES A May 31 meeting of the party’s Politburo led by Xi announced a fur- AT SCHOOL SITE ther loosening of the state’s control over the size of families, and prom- WORLD – PAGE 10 ised “accompanying support meas- Kingdom ‘has the right ures” including improving maternity leave, universal childcare and lower- ing the costs of education, but with- out giving firm commitments. The announcement on Chinese social media platform Weibo was to choose’ aid sources met with mixed reception, with some responses citing concerns Niem Chheng that the government would the visit of US Deputy Sec- try’s development. For the about long working hours, skyrock- not allow the presence of retary of State Wendy R construction of the Ream eting house prices and a rising bur- INISTER of any foreign military bases Sherman, who is expected Naval Base, the Kingdom den to provide for ageing relatives. National Defence in the Kingdom. to meet with Prime Minis- had to spend a great deal of China’s gender balance has been UK’S FOUR-DAY Tea Banh on May The minister hit back at ter Hun Sen on June 1. time looking for financial skewed by decades of the one-child 31 explained the a news report by US-based In an interview with The assistance to build it. policy, and a traditional social pref- WEEK COULD Mrole that Chinese financial aid Radio Free Asia (RFA), which Post on May 31, Tea Banh “They [the media] brought erence for boys which prompted a played in the construction of claimed he had confessed said he did not confess this topic up to say that I generation of sex-selective abor- CUT EMISSIONS, the Ream Naval Base, saying that Cambodia allowed Chi- anything but merely spoke confessed because they al- tions and abandoned baby girls. Cambodia has every right to na to develop the Ream Na- the truth. ways want to talk about this. A third of Chinese are forecast to STUDY POSITS receive development assist- val Base after the dismantling He said Cambodia has full China helping Cambodia is be elderly by 2050, heaping huge ance from any country. of the US-sponsored facility. rights to receive all kinds of pressure on the state to provide pen- LIFESTYLE – page 13 Tea Banh also reaffirmed RFA linked the topic to aid necessary for the coun- CONTINUED – page 2 sions and healthcare. AFP THE PHNOM PENH POST Over 16% of olden temples National in natural protected areas Inside page 5 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST JUNE 1, 2021 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National Encroachment on Protests erupt among factory Tonle Sap flooded forest land persists workers demanding Covid tests Long Kimmarita Nov Sivutha by ourselves; cooperation is required between provinces EDICAL work- BATTAMBANG provincial and the Ministry of Agricul- ers have taken officials said land encroach- ture, Forestry and Fisheries throat swabs ment still occurred on thou- for any prevention to be ef- to check for in- sands of hectares of flooded fective and successful. Mfections in more than 2,000 forest land bordering Tonle During a meeting with se- factory workers in Kampong Sap Lake, and authorities nior officials of the agriculture Cham province’s Cheung lacked the resources to pro- ministry on strengthening Prey district after they gath- tect these areas. the prevention and suppres- ered to block National Road Deputy provincial gover- sion of encroachment on 6 in protest on May 29. nor Soeum Bunrith told The state land in the province on The protest erupted after Post on May 31 that in the May 27, provincial governor they had received informa- last two years, the number of Nguon Ratanak said that the tion that five to six workers encroachment cases has in- province has cracked down on from two factories – Hwa creased, is more aggressive, encroachment on state land, Long Co Ltd and Out Sold and is occurring in three ar- especially flooded forest land. Industry Co Ltd – in Phdav eas in the province. According to Ratanak, the Chum commune’s Chheu Bunrith stated that in these provincial administration has Teal village had tested posi- areas included the districts also set up a standby unit to tive for Covid-19 and were of Moung Russey, Ek Phnom, identify perpetrators and has admitted to the Kampong Sangke and Thma Koulof. already put together cases to Cham provincial hospital. The government prohibits send to court. Cheng Heang, director of encroachment, but unscru- “The provincial adminis- the provincial Department of pulous people have occupied tration also faces challenges Labour and Vocational Train- Workers at the factories in Kampong Cham province’s Cheung Prey district demand 50 per cent of their wages while they are kept in quarantine for 14 days. KAMPONG CHAM PROVINCIAL INFOMATION DEPARTMENT the state land. due to the location of flooded ing, told The Post on May 31 “The provincial administra- forests and fishing grounds that more than 300 workers The owners also granted try of Labour and Vocational haven’t implemented it, lead- tion has measures in place and their size. The number of staged the protest to demand the workers’ request for 50 Training had issued a formal ing some workers to protest. to tackle encroachment on officials is few and lacks re- the factories to take samples per cent of their wages during letter holding the factories “In order to avoid these flooded forest land, along sources for effective preven- from all workers due to their their 14-day quarantine. accountable for their wages protests, the labour ministry with other infringements tion,” he said. concerns about the spread of “All of the workers had al- during quarantine. should inspect these compa- concerning land and water Yin Mengly, provincial co- Covid-19 at the factories. ready been tested after the He added that the work- nies and make them comply reclamation,” Burith said. ordinator for rights group They also demanded that the protest up until May 30. They ers’ demand to test them by fining and suspending However, authorities have Adhoc, said that regarding factories pay them 50 per cent had their samples taken. But for Covid-19 was correct be- them,” Thon said. noticed that unlike before encroachment on land in of their wages while they are so far the Ministry of Health cause they were concerned During a recent press confer- when wealthy people were be- these areas, it is not possible kept in quarantine for 14 days. has not yet provided me with about their safety.