Cambodia delays construction projects to focus on COVID-19 combat
The Cambodian Government will postpone all its construction projects in a bid to earmark the budget for fighting the possible COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on March 4.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Phnom Penh (VNA) – The Cambodian Government willpostpone all its construction projects in a bid to earmark the budget forfighting the possible COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on March4.
Khmer Times cited the PM as saying at the HealthMinistry’s annual meeting in Phnom Penh that all construction projects by thegovernment have not yet been started and need to be procrastinated unless theyare jointly funded by foreigners.
Cambodia can put off all constructions till nextyear as its need to know how much money it has in hands after the containmentof COVID-19, according to him.
He also warned some ministers not to ask formore budgets to expand their ministries, noting that the country’s priority isto contain the outbreak of COVID-19 because of limited capital.
Meanwhile, Chan Sophal, director of the Centrefor Policy Studies of Cambodia, said that the postponement will have negativeimpact on economic growth this year. Economic expansion in 2020 is expected todrop to about 6 percent.
He added the government’s annual infrastructureprojects such as maintaining provincial roads, building canals and schools costabout 400 million USD.
Also on March 4, the Cambodian Governmentdecided to cut 50 percent of expenditures by state agencies. The reduction isonly 25 percent for the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce and theOffice of the Council of Ministers.
However, PM Hun Sen said public employees’salaries will not be reduced./.
The Lao Ministry of Health has urged the public to get information about the COVID-19 from only reliable and official sources to avoid the snare of fake news.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on March 3 announced new measures to fight the acute respiratory disease caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Singapore has expanded its entry restrictions to bar visitors who have travelled to the Republic of Korea, Iran or northern Italy within the past 14 days.
All people who enter Vietnam from Cambodia are required to fill in medical declaration forms amid complicated developments of the acute respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.
The ASEAN Center of Military Medicine (ACMM) on March 5 held an online meeting to discuss coordination mechanisms among ASEAN member nations’ military medicine forces in the fight against the COVID-19.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
