Im Sokthy

Cambodian Consultancy Team (ConsultTeam), is a group of professional members who have had more than five years of experiences of working and research in various fields such as local governance, decentralization, community development, agriculture, organizational development, evaluation and monitoring, and training. Out team members come from various expertises, provided high quality services to our clients ranging from governments to non-governmental organizations.

Our team members have had worked with government agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and social enterprises. We could provide services in social science and technology (land used planning and mapping, feasibility study on hydropower, irrigation system development, etc.).

Currently, our team is strongly committed to provide services to contribute to your success, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. As environment and society are changing, we will continue to provide high quality services.

Consulting services we provided are as follows:

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• Organizational Development: Strategic planning, Strategic position, Project evaluation, Project mid-term review, Proposal development
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Mr. Im Sokthy,

Phone: 855 12 902200; 855 11 891910

Email: sokthyim@yahoo.com

I would like to share with you all the name list of government members in the fourth mandate of the national assembly 2008-2013. I got this via email from Mr. Kin Phea. He is working at International Relations Institute of Cambodia (IRIC) of Royal Academy of Cambodia. Please find the royal decree for your information. royal-decree-nomination-of-government-members-2008.pdf

Once I came back from Ratanakiri, I stopped for a short period of time in Kratie before continue traveling to Phnom Penh in early September, I took a picture of a man who is riding his bycycle as you can see in this picture below. Handicraft (hand made) products were placed on his bycycle as he wanted to sell these products. It took long time to produce these products.

Usually, rural Cambodian people do harvesting business as core career in every year and run other micro and small business to feed their daily lives. Handicraft is one among this micro and small business. They can earn more money. They do this base on their tradition within their local communities. Some of these business have attracted attention of commune councils. Some commune councils have helped these business through their commune investment program and commune budgets. Some NGOs also help this business. The state government also helps through its sub-national branches. One village-one product is helping to promote such kind of this business. But there are more still to be done and this need strong efforts and resources.

Cambodia’s newly re-elected government will enact formal regulations for the country’s coveted casino sector once it takes office later this month, a senior official at the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance has announced.Chea Peng Cheang, Secretary of State for Cambodia’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, told delegates at this week’s Asian Casino Executive Summit in Singapore that the Cambodian People’s Party’s recent election victory would boost the country’s casino industry, adding that the new government would soon look to submit the sector to formal regulation for the first time in order to foster further growth. [Read the rest of this entry…]

Those who travel to provinces, especially at provincial towns may use to see office of Cambodian parliament members. I used to travel many provinces and once I saw the office, the office always closed. Recently in early September 2008, I went to Ratanakiri and I still see the office closed. You can see the picture I took while I was at Ratanakiri provincial town on the working day.

I do not know how much the efficient of works of the representives to serve their constituencies or even not know how is their works to help people. But I just think that if the office is closed, then no body inside work in the office.

But local real estate broker seeks govt reassurances

REAL estate brokers in Cambodia worry that current economic instability in the United States and other international markets could affect foreign business investment at home.

“I think the economic slow-down in the US has made some potential investors wary of putting money into land or property,” said Sung Bonna, CEO of Bonna Realty.

He said the government needs to reassure investors over stability in Cambodia in light of the bankruptcy of the US financial services firm Lehman Bros, announced last week, and the government bailout of AIG, formerly one of the US’s largest insurance and financial management firms.

Sung Bonna said a new government must be announced as soon as possible and policies should be implemented to encourage greater investment in the banking and real estate sectors.

Fewer property deals
Government measures to curb inflation by increasing capital reserves requirements for banks have led to a 50 percent drop in new real estate loans, Sung Bonna said.

“The government needs to encourage investment and demonstrate that the economy and political situation here is stable,” he said.

Meanwhile, some in the banking sector say Cambodia remains largely insulated from economic turmoil abroad.

“We’ve weathered this kind of crisis before, and I don’t see any problem for our banking sector,” Nguon Sokha, deputy director of the Research Department at the National Bank of Cambodia, told the Post.
She added that Cambodia, unlike Thailand, has few direct stakes in US financial firms.

In Channy, president and CEO of Acleda Bank, said he has seen no impact on commercial banks in Cambodia because they don’t have substantial stakes in the US stock market.

Overheated real estate
He added that anti-inflationary measures such as the hike in capital reserves was intended to stabilise a booming real estate market that saw rampant over-valuation in market prices since 2007.

“The problem with Lehman was a drop in share prices on the stock market,” In Channy said. “We don’t have a stock market, so the direct impact is minimal.”

But Cambodia does have significant investments from Korea, China and the European Union that could be subject to market fluctuations in some international indexes, said Hing Thoraxy, senior research fellow for Cambodia International Corporation for Peace.

The problem with real estate, for Hing Thoraxy, is not the global crisis but local speculation.

“We are trying to protect our economy, and we will not allow a real estate bubble due to speculation,” he said.
The prospect of a housing crisis in Cambodia could further shake foreign investors’ confidence.
“If speculators artificially drive up prices on land in Cambodia, no one will risk investing here,” he said.

Extracted from Phnom Penh Post

From 1st to 3rd September 2008, I went to Sna Ansa commune located in Krokor district, Pursat province. This commune is not far from Pursat. It is about 15 Km from provincial town. This is the picture my friend took for me while I was standing in front of the commune office, the old office among hundreds of old commune offices in Cambodia.

Sna Ansa commune has had an innovative natural resource management project that aims to improve local livelihoods. Rattan made products are not enough to supply the increasing demands from day to day of customers inside and outside Cambodia. Today, this commune council has played vital role in this matter and is trying to search for markets for its local residents. I am not capable enough to describe it here, but what I just want to share with you all is the innovative ideas of the use of local resource that can be sustainable and effective and run by local residents to feed local people. If you wish to see this good model or wish to do business with this commune regarding rattan hand made products, please take your time to visit there.

Hi All,

Now many more positions are coming, Please read the below job announcement:

PRET Global Investment Co., Ltd is a leading company which providing the best services to all Prets during Pchum Ben Day in Cambodia . Our Services are passport application, visa, overseas call, air ticket, hotel & restaurant booking….etc. We currently invite all interested candidates to fill the following vacant posts:

1 Country Director (3,500$/15days)

1 General Manager (2,000$/15days),

1 Account & Admin Manager (1,000$/15days)

3 Cashiers (200$/15days),

10,000 Cookers (150$/15days),

1,000 Security Guards (100$/15days) &

10,000 Cleaners (100$/15days).

Please send your resume with recent photo size 1m x 2m through e-mail: prets.hungryeveryday@pagoda.com.

Please do not forget find 3 Prets as your references who are close relative with you.

Cheers,

Cambodia will build a bridge connecting Kandal Province’s Chrey Thom District with Vietnam in a bid to boost cross-border trade.

The 20 million USD bridge would become an international checkpoint where business would increase because of easier transportation, the Phnom Penh Post quoted Em Sovannara, a department head at the Council of Ministers International Relations Department, as saying.

The Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia is looking for ways to expand trade ties. Trade between the two countries is expected to reach 1.5 billion USD this year, according to Mao Thora, an official of the ministry.

There are currently around 40 border crossings between Cambodia and Vietnam.

John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
September 16, 2008It is a pleasure to be in Cambodia and to see the progress that has been made over the past several years. I have had a number of productive meetings, including with Prime Minister Hun Sen and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. We discussed the many positive ways that the United States and Cambodia cooperate, and we explored ways to deepen our bilateral relationship. My trip here is also an opportunity to emphasize our commitment to strong regional engagement in Asia.

The United States and Cambodia have a good and growing relationship. We are working together to improve the lives of Cambodians. The first Peace Corps volunteers recently marked their one-year anniversary. We are spending roughly $32 million per year in Cambodia to improve health and are cooperating closely to address HIV/AIDS and avian influenza. We are also working together in the areas of refugee matters, cultural preservation, and humanitarian demining. Our military-to-military relationship is growing stronger, and we value interaction with Cambodia in the areas of counter-terrorism, law enforcement, and POW/MIA matters.

We welcome Cambodia’s increasing involvement in solving regional and global problems. Once the beneficiary of a United Nations peacekeeping operation, Cambodia today has peacekeepers deployed in Sudan. Cambodians have also provided demining assistance to Afghanistan and Iraq.

We have also been impressed with the strides that Cambodia has made in its efforts to combat trafficking in persons in recent years, and the progress of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The State Department intends to work with Congress to make available an initial contribution of $1.8 million this year to support the tribunal. We expect to be active among donors to the tribunal to ensure that it continues to improve its management and addresses the issue of corruption. This decision to seek funding for the court reflects our commitment to see this process through to its conclusion and to help Cambodians build a society based on the rule of law.

In all of my meetings, I also stressed the importance that the United States places on respect for human rights, open access to the media, and a free and fair electoral process.

Relations between the United States and Cambodia are at a high point, but there is more work to do. We look forward to continuing our efforts with the Royal Government of Cambodia to strengthen the rule of law and further economic development.
Let me now take a few questions.

Released on September 16, 2008

Extracted from http://www.state.gov/s/d/2008/109787.htm