Economy
Farmers in Kandal province’s Koh Thom district harvest rice in February 2019. (Heng Vichet/VOD)

China Deal Seen as Potential Boost for Investment, Political Standing

Cambodia and China on Monday signed a long-awaited free trade deal, as industry observers said it could be a boon for agricultural investment and seen as a major policy achievement, while others spoke of the need for wider reforms to make Cambodian exports competitive.

Preh Phnheas resident Chorb Kun looks at her IDPoor and loan documents in August 2020 in Battambang province. (Ananth Baliga/VOD)

Some 1.3M in Cambodia May Fall Back Into Poverty, UNDP Estimates

The number of Cambodians experiencing poverty this year could nearly double to 17.6 percent of the population — sending some 1.3 million people back into poverty — with the unemployment rate increasing almost seven-fold, a new U.N. report says.

Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng holds up City Hall’s offer to guarantee striking garbage collectors’ benefits will not be lost amid restructuring, at Cintri’s truck garage in Daun Penh district on October 7, 2020. (Tran Techseng/VOD)

Capital Governor Offers Rice to End Garbage Strike, Workers Decline

Confusion reigned after the latest round of negotiations over a garbage collectors’ strike, with workers applauding a speech by Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng before later realizing, according to a unionist, that “none of their demands were accepted.”

A family collects rainwater to save money on water expenses, in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district on June 12, 2020. (Hun Sirivadh/VOD)

Poverty to Increase in Economic Downturn: World Bank

Hit by the global economic slowdown and the loss of E.U. trade benefits, Cambodia’s economy is projected to contract 2 percent this year, with the World Bank warning that poverty rates will be on the rise regionwide.