Friday, February 23, 2007

PPPost Business in brief

Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 04, February 23 - March 8, 2007

Chinese hydro to power Phnom Penh

Chinese companies plan to build a hydropower plant and transmission network to generate enough electricity to meet Cambodia's growing demand, which the Ministry of Mines and Energy says has been rising 15 to 20 percent per year. On February 16, two Chinese companies and the Cambodian government signed agreements to build a $190 million plant in Battambang province, which Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said would generate 465 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. He said the $113 million transmission network would connect Phnom Penh, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat and Battambang.

Oil eyes on reserves

Cambodia's oil reserves are attracting companies from Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait, Australia and France. Government officials are reporting an increase in applications from oil companies to tap the country's energy reserves, which international research suggests could contain up to two billion barrels (320 billion liters) of oil and 280 billion cubic meters of gas. Cambodia could earn up to $6 billion a year over the next two decades from these reserves. The country's gross domestic product is now $5 billion a year.

US hot on trademark

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) says Cambodia, as a World Trade Organization member, needs to toughen its trademark infringement laws. Keo Remy, deputy chief of a parliamentary committee overseeing financial and economic matters, said the USPTO had met with the committee urging Cambodia to create more laws to safeguard the commercial environment and especially trademark problems, according to DPA. Remy told the USPTO that, although trademark violations such as pirated CDs were a problem, Cambodia was a transit point rather than a major producer of goods violating trademark laws.

Viets go for rubber

The Vietnam Rubber Corporation (VRC) will plant 4,000 hectares of rubber trees in Cambodia this year. According to Vietnamese press, VRC will invest $4 million in funding, seedlings and equipment. The planting comes under a bilateral cooperation plan between the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments, and is part of a larger project to plant 100,000 ha of rubber trees in Cambodia.

Aussies seek gold

The Australian gold and base metals company Southern Gold (SG) has signed a joint venture agreement over two exploration areas owned by Cambodian company Greystoke. Australian press reported that, with the latest agreement, SG was now exploring five tenements in Cambodia, totaling an area of 1,155km2.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

With a few million the Communist Vietname can take over Cambodian Land lawfully?

Kon Me Chaur lourk Cheat Ah HUN XEN, may you blood be crush from Cambodia soil for refer1