Factors affecting successful fiscal decentralisation in Cambodia

Alterations to Cambodia’s political and administrative structures under the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Sub-National Democratic Development (SNDD) reforms are still relatively new. The 2002 Law on Administrative Management of the Commune/Sangkat introduced directly-elected councils charged with producing development plans for their jurisdictions through participatory processes and given discretionary funds to carry out projects that met needs stated in these plans. The2008 Law on Administrative Management of the Capital, Province, Municipality, District and Khan (the ‘Organic Law’) allowed for indirectly-elected councils at provincial and district level, began the process of detailing and mapping the functions and fiscal resources to be assigned or delegated to sub-national authorities (SNAs) and defined the relationship between Cambodia’s 24 provinces, 193 rural districts, urban municipalities and khans, and 1,633 communes/sankgats (hereafter ‘communes’)(download).

The Rights of Indigenous Cambodians

This paper will address four points relevant to indigenous rights and welfare: access to education; access to health services; political inclusion; and land rights. An overview of each topic and current challenges will be provided, along with the results of recent field research conducted by the PIC. Field research was conducted in Adoung Meas, Bar Kaev districts in Ratanakiri and Pech Chreada in Mondulkiri, highlighted in Map 1, below.

In broad terms, indigenous Cambodians have worse outcomes than the national average in terms of health, education and land related indicators, except for their political inclusion. However, efforts have been made to address this imbalance, most successfully in education. Cambodia is now considered a regional leader in providing effective education programmes to its indigenous population. Health related issues have also gradually been improving. However land rights issues are more complex(download).

Oil and Gas Revenue Management Options for Cambodia

At a moderate rate of production, Cambodia’s oil and gas revenue could provide revenues of around $500 million a year for 20-25 years, and is estimated to peak in revenue at between $1.7 billion and $6 billion per annum for a small number of years. However, a recent drop in the value of oil and gas, which is forecast to continue into the foreseeable future, largely due to a number of large gas projects commencing production across the world, may have reduced the interest and profitability in developing Cambodia’s oil and gas reserves(download).

ការគ្រប់គ្រងចំណូលពីឧស្ម័ន និងប្រេង

ក្នុងអត្រាមធ្យមនៃផលិតកម្ម ចំណូលពីប្រេង និងឧស្ម័នក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ត្រូវបាន​ប៉ាន់​ស្មាន​ថាមាន​តម្លៃ​ប្រហែល ៥ រយលាន​ដុល្លាអាមេរិក​​​​ក្នុង​មួយ​​ឆ្នាំ ក្នុងរយៈពេលពី ២០ ទៅ ២៥ ឆ្នាំហើយ​ក៏​មាន​​ការ​ប៉ាន់​ស្មាន​​​​ថា​នឹងកើនឡើង​ខ្ពស់បំផុត​ក្នុងចន្លោះ ១.៧ ពាន់លានដុល្លាសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក ដល់​ ៦ ពាន់​លាន​​ដុល្លាសហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក ក្នុង​មួយឆ្នាំៗ ក្នុងអំឡុងពេលមិនច្រើនឆ្នាំប៉ុន្មានឡើយ។ ប៉ុន្តែ ការធា្លក់ចុះ​តម្លៃ​​ប្រេង និង​ឧស្ម័ន​ពេលកន្លងទៅ​ថ្មី​ៗ​នេះ ​ ដែលត្រូវបាន​​ព្យាករណ៍ថានឹងបន្តធ្លាក់ចុះ​នាពេល​អនា​គត​​​ខាងមុខ ​មូល​ហេតុ​​​ចំបងដោយ​សារមាន​​គម្រោង​រុករកឧស្ម័នធំៗ ​ កំពុងបាន​​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​ដំណើ​រការ​ផលិត​កម្មរបស់ខ្លួននៅ​​ទូទាំង​ពិភព​លោកនោះ ការចាប់អារម្មណ៍ និងផលចំណេញ ក្នុង​ការអភិវឌ្ឍវិស័យ​ប្រេង​ និង​ឧស្ម័ន​បម្រុងនៅ​កម្ពុជា​​ អាចថយចុះ។ (download)

Rent Control Laws End Up Strangling Housing Supplies

New rent control laws were passed by the National Assembly with support from both major parties, and will be implemented in the coming year. The law mandates a freeze on rental prices for garment workers for two years, during which time the rental price may not be increased.

Electricite du Cambodge (EdC), the state electricity provider, has been tasked with surveying the areas with a high density of dwellings rented by garment workers in order to assess rent prices, which will be fixed when the law is implemented. The rent control laws are implemented concurrently with laws to reduce the price of electricity for tenants using less than 50 kilowatt-hours per month, which will cut the expenses of low-income workers including those in the garment industry (read more).

Restricting alcohol marketing

The government of Cambodia has introduced restrictions for broadcasted alcohol advertisements, in an effort to ‘reduce the number of fatalities resulting from drunk driving.’

 

Going into effect on October first, television and radio stations will be prohibited from broadcasting alcohol advertisements between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Ministry of Information. Following this 2 hour time ban, will be a more general ban on beer and liquor advertisements, going into effect in January of 2015. However, details of the 2015 ban have not yet been made public(read more).

Q&A: BNG Legal counsel Sujeet Karkala

As Asean nears its already delayed deadline of becoming a single market by the end of this year, Indian companies are recognizing the opportunities here, says Sujeet Karkala, counsel with BNG Legal. He moved to Cambodia seven months ago to blaze a trail for his enterprising countrymen and spoke to Khmer Times about some of the legal opportunities and challenges Indian companies face in the region. (read more)