Value of construction in Cambodia skyrockets

Last Updated on 23 January 2013

By Hin Pisei

 

The amount of money spent on construction in Cambodia soared by 72 per cent in 2012 compared to 2011, according to data from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.
The ministry said it had issued 1,694 construction patents covering 6.5 million square metres of land, involving total capital of $2.1 billion in 2012, compared with 2,125 patents for 4.2 million square metres and capital of $1.2 billion in 2011, an increase of 71.9 per cent, the data shows.
Lao Tip Seiha, deputy general director of construction at the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and an adviser to the Supreme National Economic Council, said the significant growth of capital was due to several construction projects in 2012, as many high buildings on more than 3,000 square metres each had been constructed in Phnom Penh in 2012 and in provinces such Preah Sihanouk, Battambang, Kampong Thom and Kandal.

“Because Cambodia’s economic situation is stable, the capital has increased well, local and international investors are confident in the political policies, and our country is rich in infrastructure,” he said.

As Cambodia’s population and economy have climbed steadily, the demand for housing, trade buildings, offices, factories, hotels, schools, hospitals and entertainment centres has increased as well.
“In 2013, construction will be boosted further than in 2012 despite Cambodia holding a general election, because the economic situation, daily life, micro-finance and security are good, and investors have confidence in the government. All these are the foundations to push the national economy, because it can provide many jobs to people such as workers, architects, engineers, technicians... and urge the price of real estate up further,” Tip Seiha said.

Many countries have invested in Cambodia since 2000, such as China, South Korea, Britain, Thailand and Malaysia.

In 2012, several big Japanese companies have also invested heavily in Cambodia.

 

Interesting times for Phnom Penh office market

Last Updated on 23 January 2013

By Ryan O’Sullivan

Tight market conditions, strong demand for office space and constrained levels of new supply are the principal reasons behind the rising occupancy costs in prime office markets across the globe. 

Canadia Tower in central Phnom Penh. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

Out of the top five most expensive office markets in the world, the Asia Pacific region contains four: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing and New Delhi. With Hong Kong’s inherent lack of office supply, prime rents remain robust at $171 per square metre per month (psqm/m).

Demand from global financial and manufacturing companies kept occupancy costs high in Tokyo, while in Beijing pharmaceutical companies continued to expand.

Worldwide, office demand stemmed from the automotive, high-tech and energy industries. The latter is evident in Cambodia, where drilling off the coast near Sihanoukville has helped to increase office demand. Thus, companies such as Total and Chevron are large office occupiers, and new Japanese oil exploration firms will also establish operations in Cambodia by the end of 2013.
The growing insurance industry, particularly life insurance, is also a key office demand driver in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Life, Manulife and Prudential jointly occupy more than 3,000 sqm of office space in Phnom Penh and will likely expand by the end of this year.
The top office buildings in Phnom Penh are seeking rents of between $21 and $28 psqm/m, and with the lack of high-quality office developments, rents are unlikely to decrease.
In terms of new supply, Vattanac Capital will be ready for occupation this year. The building will be the first Grade A office development in the Kingdom.

The development recently won an award for the best commercial property in Southeast Asia, and its specifications match many office buildings in Hong Kong and Singapore. This is not only welcome news for occupiers, but also helps to elevate Cambodia’s standing among investors.
Cambodia’s sound macro-economic fundamentals, the first Grade A office development in the country, and the continued expansion of multinational corporations will make 2013 an interesting year for the Phnom Penh office market.

Number of construction companies in Cambodia soars

Last Updated on 09 January 2013

By Seun Son

 

Construction and design companies that have registered for business in Cambodia have grown to number 1,205 at the end of 2012, according to an official at the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

Lav Tepseiha, deputy director of the construction department of the ministry said it is a large number, and is good for Cambodian construction.

“The construction sector in Cambodia has increased every year and it is continuing to boost the Kingdom’s real estate,” he said.​

There are 932 Cambodian and 273 foreign construction and design firms at the end of 2012, he said.
“I have noticed that foreign companies that invest the construction in Cambodia have climbed much more, especially in 2012, because they are looking for the potential of construction investment in Cambodia,” he said.

Foreign investors in Cambodia come from 16 countries: China, Korea, England, Japan, Russia, Lao, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Vietnam, the United States, Singapore, Belgium, Australia and France. China is number one, South Korea number two and England third.

This growth is a good sign for Cambodia’s real estate, said Tepseiha. With the Kingdom’s political stability and rich human resources have come technical prowess, and specialist construction companies have sprung up.

“Companies will increase more and more next year because the number of proposed projects that are being submitted for permission continue to increase,” he added.

Key Real Estate Company CEO Soun Seap said that this growth is good for Cambodia’s economy.
Cambodia’s construction sector has increased due to economic and political stability, he said.
 

Phnom Penh’s historic quarter to go pedestrian

Last Updated on 14 January 2013

By Bennett Murray

 

 

 

A new tourist promenade is to open in the heart of Phnom Penh’s old French quarter.

Scheduled for a February opening, the tourist walk zone will provide an outdoor leisure area on Street 13 that will be closed to cars and motorbikes on weekends from 6pm till 12am, as well as on national holidays.

It will be adjacent to the colonial-era post office that today houses the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.

“Everywhere in the world, especially in the cities, there are some places for the people to walk down,” said Minister of Tourism Thong Khon, whose ministry is helping Phnom Penh Capital Hall build the tourist walk zone.

“In Cambodia, we also need a place for tourists to walk down.”

The neighborhood includes some of Cambodia’s most prominent examples of French architecture from the turn of the 20th century, including the disused police commissariat, Manolis Hotel and the Banque de l’Indochine that today houses Van’s Restaurant.

“It is good to walk down for tourists because of the large, colonial-style buildings,” said Khon.

According UNESCO Head of Office Anne LeMaistre, it is not just tourists who stand to benefit.

“Phnom Penh has a unique chance to have a garden-city image with large avenues and trees, which is extremely rare for a capital in the region. The colonial heritage and the Khmer New architecture contribute enormously to the identity and beauty of the city.

“It is an opportunity which should not be missed for ob­­vious touristic reasons but also for the memory of all inhabitants of Phnom Penh,” she said.

“Heritage, silence, space and green environment are part of this quality of life and appreciation of living in a city. In addition, this area is unfortunately the only remaining coherent his­toric quarter of Phnom Penh,” she added.

Restoration and preservation in the area has been erratic, with some buildings getting far more treatment than others.

“The post office and the Van’s Restaurant were restored and are well-maintained buildings,” said LeMaistre.

“The Manolis Hotel and the former Commissariat are magnificent buildings but which need urgent interventions,” she added.

LeMaistre said that despite widespread enthusiasm for preserving Cambodia’s Angkorian heritage, more needs to be done to promote the country’s more recent urban heritage.

UNESCO is supporting the efforts of the Heritage Mission, which is attached to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, to make the old French Quarter a special heri­tage protected zone.

However, increased visitation to the area may encourage preservation of the historic quarter.

“The tourist walk zone will hopefully attract Phnom Penh inhabitants who will discover this area, maybe, for the first time and invite them to appreciate the harmony of the architecture and the pleasure of walking in a nice environment,” said LeMaistre. “We hope that this discovery and appreciation will lead to the understanding of preserving heritage.”

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To contact the reporter on this story: Bennett Murray at ppp.lifestyle@gmail.com

Australians mourn King Father’s passing

Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Penny Richards

Last Updated on 25 January 2013 

By Penny Richards

Australia Day is an occasion on which we reflect on the events of the past year and look forward to the challenges of the coming year.

Cambodians are currently mourning the death of the King Father, His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk. Prime Minister Gillard visited the Royal Palace on 19 November 2012 to express her condolences to Her Majesty the Queen Mother NorodomMonineath and His Majesty the King NorodomSihamoni upon the death of His Majesty the King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

The King Father was a towering figure in Cambodian history: he oversaw Cambodia’s independence and its development as a modern state.  He played a significant role in global and regional relations. He was integral to the negotiation of the Paris Peace Accords signed in 1991.

The King Father’s death reminds us of the warm historical ties between Australia and Cambodia. Australia’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gareth Evans, worked closely with the King Father and other Cambodian leaders to draft the Accords.  Australian General John Sanderson led the military component of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), which oversaw the election of a new National Assembly in 1993 and the promulgation of Cambodia’s current constitution.  Since then Australia has assisted Cambodia’s development in many fields.

Cambodia’s role as Chair of ASEAN in 2012 provided the impetus for a higher pace of activity in Australia Cambodia bilateral relations and regional cooperation. Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Bob Carr, visited Cambodia twice, in March and again in July. His visits highlighted the work Australia is doing to support Cambodia’s health sector, especially through our midwifery program, the avoidable blindness initiative and the anti-drug resistant malaria initiative we are progressing through the East Asia Summit.

His visits underlined our cooperation with APSARA and UNESCO to build a sound framework for managing Cambodia’s cultural heritage, in particular growing tourism flows to the Angkor World Heritage Park. Senator Carr also reinforced Australia’s support for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, to which Australia has been the second largest donor, emphasising the importance of judicial independence.

Australia’s Minister for Trade and Competitiveness, Dr Craig Emerson MP, also visited Cambodia twice, in August and again in November. As one of ASEAN’s six free trade agreement partners, Australia has joined negotiations for a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which were launched in Phnom Penh in November.

Australia will work with Cambodia and other partners to conclude a comprehensive, high quality agreement which will further deepen regional economic integration and trade liberalisation.

Dr Emerson is also Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Asian Century Policy. Australia’s White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century sets out a blueprint for further deepening Australia’s already strong engagement with Asia, including through business, education and people-to-people links with Cambodia and other Asian countries.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard attended the East Asia Summit Leaders’ Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen in November. Australia considers the East Asia Summit to be the premier forum for discussion of political and security issues affecting our region. We were pleased that Leaders were able to engage each other in frank discussions with no issues off the table. Australia will also work closely with other EAS members to take forward practical cooperation in key areas: finance; education; energy and environment; disaster management; and pandemic diseases.

In her public remarks, Prime Minister Gillard acknowledged that Cambodia had made a great deal of progress on human rights since the days of the Khmer Rouge but said that more needed to be done, with a focus on extrajudicial killings, land disputes, electoral reform and freedom of speech.

Looking forward to next year, we will mark the 20th anniversary since the 1993 general election supervised by UNTAC, the military component of which was led by Australian General John Sanderson. In the context of the July 2013 National Assembly elections it will be important for Cambodia to defend and implement the rights enshrined in its 1993 Constitution, including the rights of freedom of assembly, association and speech.

Throughout 2013 Australia will continue to work with Cambodia in many fields: reducing poverty, promoting regional security and fighting transnational crime. We will strengthen our people-to-people links through our scholarship and volunteers program.  I would like to thank all our partners, both Cambodian and international, for your ongoing contribution to and support for those goals.

I would like to wish everyone a happy Australia Day, and a safe and successful 2013.

 

Banker turns English teacher and loves it

Last Updated on 25 January 2013

By Stuart Alan Becker

 

When Ashley Irving worked for the prestigious Rothschild Bank in Sydney, earning a massive salary and enjoying a lot of status in the community, he still wasn’t happy with all the stress that comes naturally with corporate finance.

On vacation at Ayer’s Rock in Australia he met a group of three English teachers from Argentina. They were so happy and fun, he decided to visit them in Argentina and the trip changed his life. He walked away from corporate finance and made his career in the teaching of English.

He absolutely loves it.

Today Irving works as principal at the Australian Center for Education (ACE), a purely English language school and the largest one in Phnom Penh.

“We belong to IDP education based in Melbourne. The main business lines are placing students with universities in most English speaking countries,” Irving said.

Purely an English language school, ACE offers the IELTS test and variations including academic English, general English, English for young learns and programs for kids.

Irving says the communicative method is used.

“We get them talking. To learn language they use the language; the focus on kids is getting them to use language, reading and speaking.”

At ACE, every term is 10 weeks, 45 hour courses and cost about $200 to $230 per term depending on the level.

“We are affordable but not cheap. People who come in are serious. The families spend money and they want something for their money. If it wasn’t working it would not come back.”

One of Irving’s own early teachers had been profoundly influenced by Professor Noam Chomsky of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his work in linguistics and language acquisition.

“He wore a T-shirt that said Chomsky is My Hero.”

ACE’s general English course is available to ages 16 and up, with levels from beginner to upper intermediate.

“We test reading and grammar and use that to establish their level and place them in appropriate course, and have courses running from 6:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night.”

Even though he’s now the principal and therefore the administrator, Irving loves teaching English and remains passionate about it.

“If you are giving out positive energy, they enjoy it and you get it back tenfold, from people in the room. Some days you go home dancing. The best teachers are nice people, they talk to you, and you put them in front of a class and they light up.”

ACE is located on Street 214 in Kampuchea Krom. They also have a school in Siem Reap. Irving invites anyone to take a placement test for the $5 fee, which students get back when they enroll.

Irving has been here in Cambodia for the last eight months and loves his job.

“My only regret is not doing it 10 years earlier,” he said.

Between the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap schools, ACE has about 8,500 students.

The ages are 8 to adult, and most of the students are ages 17 to 21 and more than 95 per cent Khmer students.

“English is the mandated language of ASEAN, so from the top down English is important. The Khmer s are all keen from the start. We’ve been here 20 years and we’re well known. They come to us for English and once they are there, they are fun to be around.”

When you smile at somebody here, Irving says, they smile back.

“The levels of cynicism are much lower, which is great fun. The teenagers are open and they’ll come and talk to you. It is a privilege, so the need the break down barriers doesn’t exist, because they already assume you’re worth talking to.”

Irving studied applied mathematics at Australia’s La Trobe University and worked for many years for National Mutual Insurance as an actuary, dealing with statistics and probabilities.

Following his term as a corporate banker, his whole life changed when he met the teachers from Argentina.

Returning to Australia after time teaching English in Argentina and Brazil, Irving went to work at Sydney’s Holmes College teaching international students from around the world.

He later became director of study at Access Language Center at Sydney and managed the teaching center for the Adult Migrant English School Service (AMES) in New South Wales.

“To learn a language is just sheer hard work. Work, review, go to class, be prepared to fail, be embarrassed, it’s hard, for a teen or adult, and for somebody working full time it is really hard.”

ACE employs 120 teachers both expats and Khmer.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Alan Becker at stuart.becker@gmail.com

 

 

PM Hun Sen chastises RCFA for unprofessionalism

Last Updated on 25 January 2013

By Vong Sokheng

 

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday blasted unnamed senior military officers for breaking RCAF regulations and urged the Ministry of Defence to improve both its training and its level  of professionalism.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Chinese-Cambodian Friendship Infantry Institution — a new facility at Kampong Speu’s Combined Arms Officer School Thlok Tasek — the premier said there were reports that unqualified officers had bribed their way to higher ranks.

“What we are interested in at the moment is irregularities in the promotion of military officers that were not conducted in a good manner,” he told the gathering of about 1,000 newly graduated soldiers.
The soldiers returned recently from a Chinese military academy. At the new facility in Phnom Sruoch district, young soldiers will receive quality training from Chinese advisers to improve their knowledge and skill so  they can replace retiring officers.

Calling for stricter regulation and enforcement of laws already in place, the premier also suggested the Defence Ministry “conduct a study into the establishment of sub-decrees and Prakases about the training of RCAF to keep them in order and effective.”

“Some senior military officials have not respected the law on the statute of RCAF and general procedure,” Hun Sen said.

His suggestion was given concurrent to a National Assembly debate that took place yesterday over a long-dormant draft law to create an oversight body called the Supreme Council of National Defence.
The council would be given the right to monitor the military and take disciplinary action against officers.

It would also be responsible, more generally, for safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity and would have the power to evaluate whether to declare a state of emergency.
In the law that passed yesterday – with 85 of 97 lawmakers present voting in its favour – King Norodom Sihamoni would serve as head and Hun Sen as deputy president.
The members of the council – enshrined in the constitution two decades ago – are the minister of Defence, minister of Interior, head of the Council of Ministers, minister of Foreign Affairs, Finance minister, and general-commander of RCAF.

That composition drew the ire of opposition lawmakers, who said during yesterday’s debate they were concerned over the heavy presence of the ruling party on the council.
“We think that the members and deputy president would all be from the CPP, therefore it would not guarantee for the neutrality,” said lawmaker and Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann. “I would request for amendment of the composition and will provide to the power for the King to elect the members.”

Such criticisms, however, did little to sway the vote.
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, who is also a lawmaker and would be among the members once the law goes into affect, defended the structure during the five-hour debate.
“The law did not name the members, just the title, therefore if another political party comes to take the power in the government, they would sit in this composition,” he argued.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Vong Sokheng at sokheng.vong@phnompenhpost.com

My Academic Publication at the University of Science, Malaysia (USM)

Dear friends,

It is my pleasure to share my brief impression regarding to academic papers during my PhD journey at Malaysia. Honestly, when I worked at Cambodia, I didn't know what are academic publication and research paper. Fortunately, I have received USM fellowship award to study at USM, and I was trained by many experts how to write academic papers for publishing in Journals and Book Chapters. Therefore, I have to increase my capacity building to publish in high impact factor journals such as ISI and Scopus.

First step, I must publish in low quality journals (without impact factors) like Peer Reviews Journals (Open Access Journals) and Indexed Journals (Google Scholar, Ulrich's Periodical Directory, Open J-Gate, EBSCOhost, Gale's Academic Databases, AMICUS, Canadiana, Library and Archives Canada, Lockss, PKP Open Archives Havester, and ProQuest).  

I need to cope with various academic publication environment. Next step, I will publish in Scopus and ISI journals only. During one year of my doctorate studies, I have published 5 articles (4 published and 1 under review process). If you want to read them, please access at following links:

1. Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com.my/citations?hl=en&user=I70xug4AAAAJ

2. Academia Edu: http://usm.academia.edu/SamRany

3. ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sam_Rany/?ev=hdr_xprf

Have a nice day!

All best wishes,

Sam Rany