Pate down the Paints

In a nail-biting finish, Pate 310 touched off Davies Paints 56-54 in the championship game of the second season of the Angkor Beer Cambodian Basketball League at the Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena on Saturday. A blazing 22-10 first quarter gave Pate a huge early momentum that was never quite broken the rest of the way. A brief flurry in the dash home saw the Paints catch up with Pate at 50-all, but Chen Dyna and Kim Ran produced two crucial baskets that would set their team on the victory path. Janno Cunanan trimmed that lead in those frenzied moments to two points, but his attempt for another drive-in basket failed and the sound of the buzzer floated in as music to the Pate ears. Sok Tour led the Pate charge, with Ouch Phanat and Kim Ran lending him solid support. The Paints lead player Aimar Sabayo could only find a few bursts since he was effectively roped in just like his able ally Cunanan by Pate’s well fortified defence. At the half way stage, Pate led 34-28, and the third quarter, which saw the Paints slightly outscore their rivals, ended at 46-40. In the last quarter, the Paints coach Chris Borja switched his team to full court press which created a few nice openings for his players, helping in the bargain the side level up with Pate. But that was as far as the inaugural edition champions could get. Two quick baskets changed the complexion of the title game completely. Pate’s manager Chea Koktry was understandably elated that his pre-season pledge of winning the championship had been delivered.

After MFone

Two years ago yesterday, on January 9, 2013, telecommunications operator MFone filed for insolvency in the Phnom Penh courts. The failure of the company, which had run up too much debt and could no longer compete in the crowded telco sector, left more than 1,000 workers jobless - many of whom hit the streets in protest. Creditors as large as Chinese telco provider Huawei Technologies, owed more than $65 million, quickly emerged, while small claimants like mobile credit vendors owed as little as $20 also demanded their money back. After years of legal wrangling, Cambodia’s first bankruptcy case is still being unravelled. One complexity is the sell-off of telecommunications assets – such as the towers scattered all over the country – whose value was severely diminished from the moment they were no longer transmitting a signal. But the other, more pertinent issue brought to light by the case, is the holes in Cambodia’s insolvency law itself and the lack of judicial experience in its application. “There is a problem regarding the procedures: the law is not really clear,” said Ouk Ry, a senior partner at Cambodian law firm Bou Nou Ouk and Partners and court-appointed MFone liquidator. “The law is written before it is applied,” he said. This is a common theme in many of Cambodia’s commercial laws, which according to Ry, remain largely untested. And even when those laws are cited in court cases, the findings are not made public, meaning no precedent is established for judges, lawyers and – importantly for Cambodia’s economic prospects – businesses.

Meet the journos

Phnom Penh’s nightly toll of alcohol-fuelled tragedy and mayhem provides the grist for morning news shows and a sometimes dangerous job for a group of young journalists About midnight on a street corner in Tuol Kork, a crowd gathers around two men after a motorcycle accident. One of the men is limping. The other, the louder and more belligerent, covers his bleeding mouth and has a wound over his right eye. He also has a gun holstered at his waist. Amid the onlookers are a handful of journalists who film the scene on handheld digital cameras. In other countries you might call them ambulance chasers, but in Cambodia they usually arrive well before the medics. “He’s drunk,” says one of the reporters pointing to the belligerent man. “They always are. And look at his waist, he’s got a gun. He must be a cop.”

What lies beneath

Sakada Sakhoeun has taken the mountain path from Siem Reap to Phnom Kulen every week for the past five years. Driving on the mountain is tough and the 28-year-old archaeologist has done it in the worst conditions: at night, lost, in the rain – when roads turn to rivers and it takes four people to pull his dirt bike from the mud. But what he’s most worried about is what lies behind the thin curtain of trees that shrouds the main road: fields upon fields of cashew nut trees. “You can see the line beyond the road – there are no trees, all cashew nut plantations,” says Sakhoeun, slowing his dirt bike to point out the end of the forest cover. Some 80 per cent of the forest on Phnom Kulen – one of Cambodia’s National Parks – has disappeared due to a combination of illegal logging, destructive farming practices like slash and burn, and a growing trend towards cashew nut cultivation. Even as recently as 2009, when Sakhoeun started working here with the Archeology and Development Foundation, the forest was fairly lush, he says. But of the 37,000 hectares of original natural forest, a little more than 8,000 remain.

China to fund farming

In a move it says will help Cambodia advance its agricultural sector, the Chinese government has announced its funding of a new agricultural training centre to the tune of $6.7 million. The agreement to establish the Cambodia-China Agriculture Promotion Center was signed by Ty Sokun, secretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, and Wenwen Luo, chairwoman of the Guangxi Forward Agriculture Technology International Corporation in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. Sokun said the centre would result in improved techniques and skills for Cambodian farmers. “The goal is to equip farmers with techniques to respond to climate change, use more machinery in the fields, create more resilient crops, and encourage more agricultural goods to be exported,” he said. Currently, much of Cambodia’s agricultural goods do not meet international standards for foreign buyers, Sokun said yesterday, but thanks to the centre, he added, Cambodian agricultural products would be qualified to enter the global market. The project includes two phases over an 18-year period, said Nou Vuthy, assistant to the board of directors of Guangxi Forward Agriculture Technology International Corporation Co. The first phase will last three years and will be entirely funded by the Chinese government, while the second 15-year phase will be funded by the Chinese company. “During the project, the Center will provide training on farming techniques training for rice, cassava, vegetables and fruit to Cambodia farmers and agronomists, as well as promote Cambodia’s agriculture products to the international market, especially China,” Vuthy said.

Standing up among

How do you interpret Cambodia’s relationship with China? China has been very generous to Cambodia from a foreign aid perspective, I think, some estimates have been $2 billion or more, investment wise it has been $6 billion to $8 billion. Of course, these numbers are always rather murky, there is no clear source where you can find this data. The impact of Chinese aid and investment is, of course, a big influence in a country as small as Cambodia. What they’re able to do is get Cambodia to agree to support their policy. You saw it in 2012 essentially, with Cambodia Chairmanship of ASEAN, the resulting outcome of no joint communique and then in November when US President Obama visited, it was claimed that ASEAN had agreed not to internationalise the South China Sea. That money [Chinese aid and investment in Cambodia] was well spent for a country like China – they got what they wanted out of the arrangement They get to build things here and invest in infrastructure as well as companies like Shukaku, the company backed by China. The problem with Chinese involvement here is they go straight to the government. They don’t talk to people. So when you don’t talk to the people, you get the problem that people don’t want things to happen but the government say that is fine. When Samdech Ouv [King Father] was alive, he was asked by John Foster Dulles, the secretary of state of the United States, his majesty, are you pro-China or pro-America? And he said I am pro-Cambodia. And that is what we should be. We should be supporting whatever is in Cambodia’s interests.

Royal Group told

The developers are Evergreen Success and Asia Development Co, which were given the greenlight in 2008 to develop 1,480 hectares for a tourism-related project, and Royal Group Co, which was granted 1,408 hectares in 2009 for an eco-tourism venture. “The ministry will closely monitor their progress and will re-evaluate them again after six months,” said Environment Minister Say Sam Al at a press conference yesterday. Neither company has completed all the application procedures required by law or submitted a master plan, said Sao Sopheap, ministry of environment spokesman. “It is a requirement before they can start their development activities on the site,” Sopheap said. “In six months’ time, we will evaluate them again. If they show no progress at all, then the government will decide what to do next.” Created in 1993, Ream National Park is made up of 21,000 hectares of coastal area in Preah Sihanouk province. But in recent years, several projects have carved away land for private development despite the park’s protected status. Am Sam Ath, senior investigator with rights group Licadho, said that while development plans usually aim to improve the affected communities’ living standards, most of the time the result is the opposite.

derivative trading

The Association of Banks in Cambodia has called on the Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure that over-the-counter derivatives transacted by banks do not fall under the governance of the new draft prakas governing derivatives trading on Cambodia’s stock exchange. Speaking at a workshop in Phnom Penh yesterday to provide feedback on the prakas, called Licensing and supervision on derivative trading, Charles Vann, deputy director-general of the Association of Banking Cambodia, said derivatives contracts transacted by banks are already regulated by the National Bank of Cambodia. Van said that his members had “serious concerns” that the new draft law on exchange traded derivatives, in its current state, could be seen to overlap with NBC regulations. “Derivatives transacted by banks in Cambodia are not securities per se, they do not have the qualities or features of a security which are debt or equity instruments which are negotiable and transferable,” he said, referring to exchange traded derivatives. “The derivative instrument transacted by the bank are over-the-counter; bilateral transactions as part of the risk management of clients,” he added. Van asked the SECC to include statements in the new law clarifying that it would not apply to over-the-counter derivatives. “If such a change is not made, the ABC believes there will be some serious potential impact to the financial sector,” he said. Van asked that the Banking Association in Cambodia be included in further meetings with the regulatory body regarding the review of the draft law. Sou Socheat, director general of Securities Exchange and Commissions of Cambodia (SECC), said yesterday that the SECC has been working closely with National Bank of Cambodia to clarify issues relating to the overlap of derivative regulations. The director general said he would consider the request of the Association of Banks in Cambodia to be involved in higher level discussions.

Strike two

The trial of 11 Cambodia National Rescue Party officials and activists charged with insurrection was sidetracked for a second time in two weeks yesterday after two opposition lawmakers were banned from the public gallery, prompting defence lawyers to boycott the hearing. Before any of the accused was given the chance to deny their involvement in violence in Freedom Park on July 15, the three presiding judges asked two CNRP lawmakers to leave Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The order came after lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that lawmakers who had previously been charged themselves over the same violent demonstration should not be allowed to observe. “These seven names are not allowed to listen,” Judge Taing Sun Lay said after convening with his colleagues for about 20 minutes. Of the seven CNRP lawmakers arrested over the July 15 violence and later released when a political deal was struck on July 22, only Mu Sochua and Long Ry were in court yesterday. The two lawmakers stayed put as the 11 defendants’ lawyers contested the decision. “As long as the court chases out these [lawmakers], I cannot join this hearing,” defence lawyer Choung Choungy told the judges. “Please do not extend this case to include [the lawmakers]. There are only 11 accused.” Choungy was soon backed by 10 other lawyers in a boycott they threatened to continue if the lawmakers are not allowed to observe future hearings. But Cheng Peng Hab, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said it is not appropriate for Sochua and Ry to hear testimony because they are still under the “control” of the court. “If they are sitting listening, they can find a way to defend themselves,” Peng Hab said. Many, however, consider the cases against the lawmakers over after the political deal. The prosecutor, Ke Socheat, did not object to the lawmakers being in court and urged the trial to continue – boycott or not.

Cool runnings

Clement weather conditions helped contribute towards some impressive times including two new race records at the seventh edition of the Pursat River Run held on Sunday in Pursat provincial town. National team athlete Kieng Samorn, who represented the Kingdom in the men’s 800m at the 2012 London Olympics, triumphed in the 5-kilometre race in an event-best time of 18 minutes 3 seconds, according to race organisers.Samorn’s national team-mate Ma Viro, meanwhile, stormed to first place in the 10km race, crossing the line in 34:13. Another River Run record fell in the women’s 5km section, with Heng Mengchu coming home in 22:01. Expatriates dominated the 10km women’s race with Veronique Messina of France the winner in 43:38. The annual Pursat River Run, which follows a course along the banks of the province’s eponymous river, is organised by Pursat’s Sports Office. A total of 779 participants competed this year from schools, companies and NGOs in Pursat, as well as runners from Phnom Penh. Along with races over 5km and 10km, there was also a competition for athletes with a disability.

Paints run into

After Saturday’s dramatic 65-62 loss to the Emperors in the second game of the Angkor Beer Cambodian Basketball League playoffs semifinals, Davies Paints stormed home to a 87-71 win on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena to wrap up the series 2-1 and advance to meet Pate 310 in the championship round. The title match of the CBL’s second season between Davies Paints and Pate is slated for 2pm on Saturday, while the Emperors and Mekong Tigers play off at 9:30am for third place. As was to be expected, the semis decider was a tense affair, but Paints got the first run on Emperors with a 21-14 opening quarter and stretched it to an impressive 51-34 at half time with Janno Cunanan proving a thorn in the Emperors’ side. Bun Vanna’s good work from behind the arc was the only good happening for the Emperors as they desperately went in search of an effective plan to deal with Cunanan. By the end of the third quarter, the Emperors had to deal with double trouble – the mounting Paints lead and one of their key players Kim Vengngoun picking up his fourth foul.

Tribunal restarts

The end of a boycott at the Khmer Rouge tribunal didn’t prevent the first evidentiary hearing in Case 002/02 from being uninterrupted yesterday, as testimony was cut short when octogenarian defendant Khieu Samphan was taken to hospital after complaining of dizziness. “We heard a letter from the treating doctor at the [Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia] that Mr Khieu Samphan is very dizzy and his blood pressure is very high, and the treating doctors at the ECCC decided to send him to the Khmer Soviet Hospital,” trial chamber president Nil Nonn announced at the start of yesterday’s afternoon session. Proceedings, he continued, would resume this morning, Samphan’s health permitting. Despite having been hospitalised before with relatively minor ailments, Samphan, 83, has perhaps been the healthiest of Case 002’s original four defendants, almost always appearing in the courtroom and typically standing to deliver statements. By contrast, former Case 002 defendant Ieng Thirith was severed from proceedings in 2012 after being found unfit to stand trial due to advancing dementia. Her husband and co-defendant Ieng Sary died in 2013 of heart failure. Samphan’s current Case 002/02 co-defendant, 88-year-old Nuon Chea, has also been hospitalised multiple times, and watched significant portions of Case 002/01 proceedings from a holding cell, finding it too taxing to attend hearings in the courtroom. However, his health has improved in recent months. Samphan defender Kong Sam Onn said yesterday evening that Samphan remained in hospital, and that he had received no word on his condition.

Lee, Bar shown

Last Saturday’s winner Lee Duck Hee of South Korea and runner-up Dekel Bar of Israel made second round exits in the third and final leg of the US$10,000 ITF Cambodian Futures, the GLF Tep Khunnah Open, at the National Tennis Center yesterday. The 16-year-old Lee appeared to be heading in the right direction after polishing off a nip-and-tip first set tiebreak at 10-8, but his fellow Korean Nam Hyun Woo staged a splendid rally to oust the teenager 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in a contest of swiftly changing patterns. The 29-year-old Nam, who has been on the circuit since 2002, reined in his youthful rival with some tactful play on big points, especially in the middle of the second set and the better part of the third. Dogged by six double faults overall, Lee’s serve came under Nam’s hammer at critically vital stages. Lee was broken seven times while Nam lost five service games. Meanwhile Dekel Bar, who went down to Lee in the GLF Cham Prasidh Open last week, met the same fate as his conqueror. A qualifier from Taiwan, Yi Chu-Huan, stopped the big serving Israeli 7-6, 6-1 to make the quarter-finals. Top seeded Huang Liang-Chi got through without much ado to the last eight with a victory over Spain’s Jose Vidal Azorin 6-2, 7-5 even as second seeded Matsui Toshihide of Japan comfortably got past He Yecong He of China 7-5, 6-2.

Sam Tharoth

Cambodia’s Sam Tharoth suffered an agonising defeat, both physically and mentally, in her female mixed martial arts bout against Jujeath Nagaowa of the Philippines on Friday night at ONE Fighting Championships’ “Warrior’s Way” fight card in Manila. The ‘Little Frog’ from A Fighter Club in Phnom Penh, who had her shoulder dislocated in the first round and barely escaped from two strong submission attempts, showed a fiery determination to withstand her ‘Bad Girl’ Filipina opponent until the second stanza of their atomweight (48kg) contest. “In the first round I got choked, I don’t remember but I think twice I was about to pass out,” Tharoth told the Post. “I was about to tap, but I didn’t. I thought about my country and my parents. I wanted to win for them, so I kept trying and fought until the second round. As long as I still survive, I’ll keep fighting,” she added. Nagaowa quickly took control again, deflecting blows from Tharoth and then dominating an exchange on the ground. She moved to mounted position and reigned down strikes on the Cambodian until the referee dove in to wave off the fight. “When the referee stopped the fight, I didn’t know that it was the end. I thought it was the end of round, but after I realised I was so sad and angry with myself,” Tharoth said. The 24-year-old from Banteay Meanchey also noted that she hadn’t implemented much of the advice from her coaches. “We were talking about the game plan. They told me just to be patient in and around the three-minute mark. Don’t rush, count her punch, pushkick a lot to her face, kick her in the leg.

Ma Viro gets first taste

Cambodia’s Ma Viro claimed his first victory in the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon yesterday morning in Siem Reap. The 27-year-old national team runner completed the 21-kilometre course around the picturesque Angkorean temple complex in a total time of one hour, 16 minutes and 10 seconds. Just over five minutes back was compatriot Phan Sophak, with Britain’s Thomas Booth in third on 1:22:15. In the women’s half marathon, Singapore’s Vivian Tang added to her multiple titles in the past with a solid run of 1:28:05, around half a minute slower than the time she set in winning last year’s race. Canada’s Tracy Whiting-Tary clinched silver yesterday with 1:33:21 ahead of American Laura Kighlinger, who crossed the line in 1:34:10. According to Kyodo news, Tourism Minister and National Olympic Committee of Cambodia President Thong Khon said nearly 8,000 runners from 78 countries entered events over 3km, 10km or 21km. In 1996, only 654 runners from 14 countries entered. There was also a special wheelchair race. The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon was first introduced by Yuko Arimori, the first Japanese woman to win a marathon medal at the Olympics. Arimori, now a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund, has taken part in every international half marathon in Siem Reap to contribute to fund-raising for landmine victims and the poor.

Human Rights Day

The fourth edition of the annual Human Rights Day Soccer Tournament, hosted by CIA First International School and organised by Rising Stars International Sports Academy, played out yesterday at the Emperial Sports Club near Northbridge. Around 500 children took part in the event which marked the international Human Rights Day holiday. “Sports bring a diversity of people together in healthy competition. All people have the right to play sports,” CIA First school director Andre Struve said during a brief opening ceremony yesterday. “Through this tournament, we are not only promoting the freedom to engage in sports by all, but also ensuring that there are no forms of discrimination to those engaged in sports.” In the final of the U10 category, CIA First defeated Golden Gate 3-2 on penalties after their game had ended 0-0 in regulation time. Third place went to 3G Academy. 3G Academy triumphed in the U12 division following a 2-1 win over Phnom Penh Crown Community with CIA First in third. The hosts were unlucky in the U14 final, edged out 2-1 by Zaman International School, as Phnom Penh Crown Community picked up the bronze. The title decider for the U17 section was watched by over 200 cheering supporters and featured Pegasus against PSE. Pegasus soared to a 2-0 lead before PSE started to stage a late rally. They drew one back but couldn’t find an equaliser in time as the referee blew the whistle to grant Pegasus the trophy.

Rising Stars home

Members of the Rising Stars International Sports Academy (RSISA) returned to Cambodia after taking part in the first Asia Youth Cup organised by 2Touch Sports Singapore over the weekend. The U16 side bowed out of the Asia Youth Cup after losing 4-0 to WSA Youth of Singapore in the quarter finals. The team finished fifth in the Round Robin League after losing their grip on third position. With a heavily depleted side following injuries to first-choice goalkeeper Visal Seak and winger Rynaldo Anthony, the Academy from Cambodia had to play the quarter finals with six players and a makeshift keeper. It was a mountain to climb, and after the moment WSA Youth took the lead within five minutes, it was damage limitation. RSISA U14 boys, however, were able to get to the semi finals of the Plate only to lose on penalties after the match against Serporn of the Philippines ended 0-0 in regulation time. In the third-place playoffs they also fell 1-0 on penalties after full-time ended 0-0 against Amstam Soccer School from Indonesia. The U14s, on the other hand, finished seventh in the 13 team U14s. The top six teams were grouped in the Cup, while the bottom six contested in the Plate. RSISA finished joint top with Amstam Soccer School Indonesia with nine points after they won two and drew three games, and were pitched against Serporn of the Philippines before bowing out on penalties, losing 1-0 after full-time ended 0-0. The team led by RSISA director Ken Gadaffi and coach Sum Vanna, along with 17 players, returned to Cambodia on Monday afternoon with pride. “We are proud of our achievements. We came very close to winning the top prize, but lack of enough subs as the games were so many and came quickly made most of our players tired or injured” Ken Gadaffi said.

Women and sport

Field experts Gabriella Mueller and Ana Natasha Lozano firmly believe the four-day IOC-NOCC seminar on women and sport for Asia opening at the Sokhalay Hotel in Siem Reap today is a unique window of opportunity for the Kingdom’s women to develop the best practices of leadership in the areas of sports administration and competition. In an exclusive interview with the Post yesterday, cross-cultural diversity expert Mueller and Natasha Lozano, a specialist in improving cognitive abilities, noted that Cambodia hosting a seminar-training program of this significance is in itself a great positive step. “This is the best platform for the dozen or so Cambodian participants among the 61 delegates from 26 countries assembled here from the most diversified continent to discuss issues linked to women’s empowerment in and through sport in Asia”, the IOC-nominated training instructors pointed out. Making a strong case for the proportional representation of women in the decision-making process in sports administration, Mueller and Natasha Lozano called on the powers that be to support the advancement of women at the practical level. “Powerful changes can take firm root only when the women’s vision on development of skills, competence and leadership is backed by the NOCs and governments,” said Mueller, adding that this federal support was all the more crucial when women grow up in conservative societies such as in Cambodia. “We are adopting a three-track approach during the next three days of interactive training. The motto behind the first is ‘I want’ that encourages motivation and self belief. “The second is ‘I can’ which helps them acquire skills and competence and the third is “I will”, which will help them play their role in the practical world,” said the IOC instructors, who together have more than two decades’ experience.

World’s Lightest Laptop

The LaVie Z is made from a magnesium-lithium alloy that is as rigid as it is light, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d accidentally break it in half, or that it would get carried away by a stiff breeze. While not as thin as its ThinkPad Carbon line, the 16.8-mm (0.66 inch) LaVie isn’t chunky by any means. Are you a Lenovo LaVie Z fan already? Vote for it to win our Readers’ Choice award at CES 2015. Unlike the Samsung ATIV Book 9, which runs on an Intel Core M processor, the LaVie Z will be configurable with a full-power Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU. The lighter LaVie Z is rated to last only 6 hours on a charge, but the convertible model should last about 9.5 hours on a charge, which is more than enough for a cross-country flight. The convertible LaVie Z is slightly more power-efficient than the clamshell version, as its display uses IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) technology, rather than a traditional LCD. Other specs include a 128GB SSD, up to 8GB of RAM, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, two USB 3.0 ports, and a full-size HDMI port. Owing to its thinner design, the LaVie’s keyboard won’t have as much travel as Lenovo’s ThinkPad or IdeaPad lines, but the keyboard we tried–though a preproduction version–certainly felt comfortable for typing. Also missing is a trackpoint, although this notebook is aimed more at consumers, and not the business set.

Thinnest Screen Bezel

I had a chance to go hands-on with the XPS 13 at Dell’s launch event and was more impressed with the notebook’s premium look than just its size. The screen itself is an engineering marvel, with the smallest laptop bezel ever, measuring just 5mm on either side of the screen. Dell had to put the webcam in the lower left corner of the bezel rather than the middle top, because the top bezel is just too thin to fit the sensor. I fired up the camera for a moment and noted that it appeared to be looking up at me, so the angle may me slightly different than notebook users are used to. The notebook is made from machined aluminum, but the deck is carbon fiber with a luxurious soft touch finish. The keys seemed springy when I touched them so it looks like XPS users will be in for a very comfortable typing experience between the soft palmrest and key feel. The touchpad seemed quite large, as well. As I lifted and held the XPS with one hand, it never felt flimsy or fragile, despite its narrow frame. Dell claims that the XPS 13 will get a full 15 hours of battery life with its default, 1080p display and 11 hours with the more power hungry WQHD panel. We’ll have to see how it does on our Laptop Mag battery test, but if it even lasts 8 hours on a charge, that would be impressive. The Dell XPS 13 is available starting today at Dell.com. We look forward to getting a closer look at this svelte system in the weeks ahead.

Reforms raise income

Workers in Cambodia will pay less income tax from January as the government raises its lowest tax threshold from 500,000 riel ($125) to 800,000 riel ($200). Previously, the lowest monthly income tax bracket, which was taxed at 5 per cent, started at $125 and went to $312.50. Following an announcement from the General Department of Taxation on Tuesday, the floor for taxable income will rise to $200 per month. This effectively puts about $3.75 a month, depending on exchange rate fluctuations, back into the disposable income of workers in Cambodia earning more than $200. Although the saving is small, the government’s decision to raise the minimum threshold was welcomed by workers and industry leaders alike yesterday. Sokhan Kolab, a financial controller at a private company in Phnom Penh, was used to paying about $73.70 in taxes from his $955 monthly salary, but the change will now put that tax bill closer $70. Though admittedly a minor change, he said it would still help. “It is good in some ways. At least I can save $3.69 and use to spend on gasoline to drive my motorbike for three to four days.” Acleda Bank CEO In Channy estimated that about 600 of the bank’s 12,000 workers – mostly cleaners and customer service associates – were paid less than $200 a month. Channy said they would benefit most from the tax reduction, along with the bank itself. “If it’s good for the employees, it’s good for the employer,” he told the Post. The government’s move to raise the lower tax threshold came on the heels of its decision to increase the minimum wage for garment workers starting in January of this year. Since the wage was raised to $128 per month – which would have put the workers just above the old tax bracket – Prime Minister Hun Sen announced in October last year that the threshold would be raised to $200. Hun Sen said at the time that the move would cost the government about $10 million in lost revenues.

HTC reverses

HTC made a profit of about $14 million in the last quarter of 2014, roughly double what analysts predicted. While it’s not the same kind of profits a behemoth like Apple typically enjoys, HTC’s turnaround indicates it may survive a rather dark period that included executive shakeups and dismal sales performance. The turnaround is thanks to a strategy that focused on building multiple mid-range handsets for emerging markets and budget-minded buyers. While the HTC One line always did well, the company needed to fill in the gap for those who wanted a good smartphone that didn’t retail for $700. The HTC One Remix and others are cheaper than the top of the line, but in all are pretty good performers with respectable build quality. While it may not be a major source of revenue, another positive for HTC is the newest pure Android tablet, the Nexus 9. We’re also likely to see a One M9 phone this year, as the company has continually touted its focus on design at the high end of its product line.

onino Lamborghini launches

The 88 Tauri will come in three different colours; black, gold and steel silver, is finished with top-quality leather available in five colours (black, blue, red, orange and brown). Each device is hand-built and only 1,947 devices in each colour will be created. The 88 Tauri has been designed to fit in with Tonino Lamborghini's range of luxury accessories that include wristwatches, eye wear and jewellery that sometimes take inspiration from, but should not be confused with, the car manufacturer founded by Tonino's father, Ferruccio Lamborghini. On the outside the 88 Tauri certainly looks the part, but it also packs some pretty decent specifications as well with a fast quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 5-inch full high-definition display, 64GB of storage and a battery that can apparently last up to 1,000 hours in standby mode. It also comes with two camera, a front-facing 8MP snapper and a main 20MP rear camera with auto-focus, dual LED-flash, face recognition and white balance correction. The 88 Tauri can handle two SIM cards at the same time, which makes it incredibly useful if you have more than one contract and phones number, and it comes with 13 exclusive ringtones created by DJ Ravin.

Has the Galaxy S6 just been

Like all tech companies, Samsung has dropped some blunders over the years, but for its own sake we hope that the internet has got it wrong this time. That’s because a mystery Samsung handset has shown up in an app tutorial video, resembling what many believe is the upcoming Galaxy S6. The ‘How-to set-up’ clip, which was posted on YouTube on the SamsungTomorrow channel, describes how to get the My Knox app going on your Samsung handset. While we obviously can’t say for sure that the phone in the video is the Galaxy S6, the previously-unseen handset sure as hell fits the bill. Matching previous leaks and rumours, the phone sports very thin bezels and appears to be half-metal, with the kind of premium build were expecting from the Galaxy S5 sequel. It’s worth noting that this handset features a conventional flat display, which is contrary to yesterday’s report that Samsung may introduce a curved screen on the new flagship. If Samsung has done this accidentally, then it’s safe to say someone is getting the sack. Otherwise it will be interesting to see what the phone in question actually is - only time will tell. Either way the Galaxy S6 is expected to be a confident iPhone 6 rival packing a fresh design and plenty of high-end specs. Features reportedly en route include the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 21-megapixel rear camera