• 31 July, 2020

With the COVID-19 situation continuing to impact Cambodia, EuroCham will be regularly disseminating the official announcements from the Royal Government to ensure our network is updated as efficiently as possible. 

Due to the significant number of incoming announcements, we are unable to translate these in full so please refer to our summaries below and the attached official notices in Khmer.

Official Announcements: 24 - 31 July

(English summaries provided by EuroCham Cambodia, subject to corrections by relevant authorities)

1. Royal Government of Cambodia Instruction on the Additional Supportive Measures to Manage the Impact on the Key Sectors of the National Economy to Recover and Boost the Economic Growth after COVID-19 Crisis (Round 5 of intervening measures)
 
On 31 July, the Royal Government of Cambodia issued a press release on additional measures adopted to support the garment, tourism, and aviation sectors. The Royal Government also continues to roll out its cash relief programme to support the poor and vulnerable families. The press release detailed the supportive measures as follows:  

• Renewal of the subsidy of USD 40 for suspended employees in the garment-textile, footwear, travel products and bag for two months until the end of September 2020. The factories and enterprises need to contribute USD 30 for each employee (An employee/worker will receive USD 70 per month in total); 
• Renewal of the subsidy of USD 40 per month for suspended employees in the tourism sector, such as hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and travel agents for another two months until the end of September 2020; 
• Renewal of exemptions of all types of monthly tax payments for hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and travel agents registered with the General Department of Taxation and operating in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk, Kep, Kampot, Bavet and Poipet  for another two months, from August to September 2020. 
• Renewal of exemption of the minimum tax for airline companies registered in Cambodia for another two (2) months, from August to September 2020.

***Attached with Unofficial Translation Provided by EuroCham Cambodia ***

 

2. Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat COVID-19 Press Release on the Temporary Suspension of Flights from Malaysia and Indonesia

On 25 July, the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat COVID-19 notified the public that the Royal Government has approved the temporary ban of all flights from Malaysia and Indonesia with the aim of preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. This restriction will be officially effective from 1 August 2020. 

According to the press release, the Ministry of Health has reported 108 cases of COVID-19 among passengers from Indonesia and Malaysia flights. Most importantly, Cambodia will have many national festivals in August and September, which requires the Government to increase its additional precautions to prevent the COVID-19 infection.

3. Ministry of Education Youth and Sport Instruction on High School Examination at Private Educational Institutions for the academic year 2019-2020

On 24 July, the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport issued the instruction no. 35 to inform that the high school examination date for private educational institutions is set for 27 August 2020 as the Government issued sub-decree 101 about the public holiday from 17 to 21 August 2020 which overlaps with the previous examination date which was set for 17 August 2020.

4. Ministry of Commerce Notification to Business Owners of Infant and Child Feeding Products on Complying with the Sub-decree No. 133 and the Joint Prakas No. 061

On 28 July, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued a notification to notify owners of businesses which are importing, distributing and supplying infant and child feeding products to properly comply with the existing regulations such as the Sub-Decree No. 133 and the Joint Prakas No. 061.

After 30 days of the issuance of this notification, if the MOC finds a product which does not comply with the content and conditions of the mentioned regulations, the MOC will take action to temporarily suspend and withdraw the product from the market and implement other procedures in accordance with the Law on the Management of Quality, and Safety of Products and Services, the Law on Consumer Protection and other regulations. According to the notification, the MOC observed that some businesses do not comply with Article 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the Sub-Decree No. 133 dated 18 November 2005 on the Sale of Infant and Child Feeding Products (Annex 1) and the Joint Prakas No. 061 dated 16 August 2007 on the Sale of Infant and Child Feeding Products.

5. Ministry of Economy and Finance Press Release on the Draft Law on Government Securities (new) and the Draft Development Strategy for the Garment, Footwear and Bag Sectors in Cambodia for 2020-2025

On 28 July, the Ministry of Economy and Finance issued a press release about the Economic and Financial Policy Committee Meeting on the Draft Law on Government Securities (new) and Draft Development Strategy for Garment, Footwear and Bag sectors in Cambodia for 2020-2025.

• The Draft Law on Government Securities (new) is being prepared by the Ministry of Economy and Finance due to the increase in demand for resource and financing which will respond to the actual need of economic and social development.  
• Draft Development Strategies for the Garment, Footwear and Bag Sectors for 2020-2025 is being prepared by the Royal Government to developing these sectors into the responsive, value-added, diversified, and competitive industry before the end of 2025. 

6. Ministry of Economy and Finance Press Release on the Results of the Working Group D on Law, Tax, and Governance Meeting

On 23 July, the Ministry of Economy and Finance held a meeting with the Private Sector to address ongoing concerns and issues. The press release outlined the outcomes as follows:

• The interest rate on loans between related parties has been forwarded to discuss at the technical working group level whose members are from the General Department of Taxation and the Private Sector.  
• The National Accounting Council was instructed to provide flexibility to the Private Sector in implementing the Law on Accounting and Auditing that was recently adopted. The meeting decided to grant a one-year grace period to allow the private sector to prepare before implementing the transitional fine. 
• The National Accounting Council and the General Department of Taxation were requested to jointly organize seminars or training sessions to raise awareness among the private sector regarding accounting principles, standards, and audit rules. 
• The representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Commerce were requested to meet with representatives of foreign business associations to discuss appropriate solutions and procedures for the registration of foreign business associations. During this transitional period, the Co-Chairs of Working Group D suggested continuing the implementation of existing registration procedures and mechanisms with the Ministry of Commerce and the General Department of Taxation to facilitate the registration of foreign business associations until the issuance of a new procedure. 
• Regarding the request to allow a letter of guarantee for employees and investors entering Cambodia during Covid-19 pandemic, the Government will create an online platform through which applicants can obtain a guarantee approval from the link on the website of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Health. By this e-platform, the request and approval of the guarantee will be quick and will take only one day.

7. Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Notification on the Outcomes of the Implementation of Poor and Vulnerable Family Subsidy Programme during COVID-19 for June

On 24 July, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation issued a notification to inform about the outcomes of subsidy programme for poor and vulnerable families during COVID-19 for June. By the end of this subsidy programme for June, a total of 530,838 families (2,153,114 persons) have received the subsidies. Among these beneficiaries, 198,631 families (758,981 persons) are in poverty level-1, and 332,207 families (1,394,133 persons) are in poverty level-2. The Government spent total of 94,551,876,000 Riels for this subsidy programme.

8. Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Notification on the Provision of Subsidised Allowances to Suspended Employees in the Garment and Tourism Sectors (Round 19)

On 29 July, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training confirmed that 18,814 suspended employees from 62 enterprises and factories of the garment and tourism sectors will receive a message from Wing (Cambodia) Specialised Bank about their subsidised allowance. Employees can withdraw the allowance at any Wing branch by bringing along their Khmer ID card and phone number. No service fee is required for withdrawal.

9. Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Notification on the Provision of Subsidised Allowances to Suspended Employees in the Garment and Tourism Sectors (Round 18)

On 29 July, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training confirmed that 27,937 suspended employees from 85 enterprises and factories of the garment and tourism sectors will receive a message from Wing (Cambodia) Specialised Bank about their subsidised allowance. Employees can withdraw the allowance at any Wing branch by bringing along their Khmer ID card and phone number. No service fee is required for withdrawal.

10. Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Notification on the Provision of Subsidised Allowances to Suspended Employees in the Garment and Tourism Sectors (Round 17)

On 24 July, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training confirmed that 12,410 suspended employees from 44 enterprises and factories of the garment and tourism sectors will receive a message from Wing (Cambodia) Specialised Bank about their subsidised allowance. Employees can withdraw the allowance at any Wing branch by bringing along their Khmer ID card and phone number. No service fee is required for withdrawal.

11. Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Notification on the Provision of Subsidised Allowances to Suspended Employees in the Garment and Tourism Sectors (Round 16)

On 24 July, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training confirmed that 14,683 suspended employees from 44 enterprises and factories of the garment and tourism sectors will receive a message from Wing (Cambodia) Specialised Bank about their subsidised allowance. Employees can withdraw the allowance at any Wing branch by bringing along their Khmer ID card and phone number. No service fee is required for withdrawal.