The Indra Devi Building Costs Nearly 10 Million USD
I am very pleased to participate in this ceremony to put into official use the Indra Devi building of the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC) and to bestow on behalf of HM the King titles and diplomas to those of you who have finished academic studies here […] (it was until) 2017, I noticed the need for working space for RAC. Initially we projected to spend about four to five million USD. As of now, the building costs reached roughly ten million USD. It will be completed in 2020 […] let me thank Oknha Pong Khieu Se for funding the project […]
Two Main Functions – Research and Training
There are two major functions for RAC – conducting research and training […] the premises is concerned, including the part belongs to the Royal University of Phnom Penh, belongs to Cambodian People’s Party, on which we built a school with the assistance from the Communist Party of Vietnam […]. I decided to give a part of the premises to the Royal University of Phnom Penh in exchange for the present location, formerly the high school of Boeung Trabek, for the Cambodian People’s Party […] we are now building the 54,000 square meters CPP Office […] it will be ready next year for inauguration […]
Scientific Research Inputs to Every Sectors
I thank HE Sorn Samnang, the first President of RAC and HE Mrs. Khlot Thida, the second President of RAC. RAC is now under the leadership of HE Sok Touch. We continue to work together to ensure scientific researches providing inputs to every sectors concerned […] we need to bring researches as close as possible to institutions that will work on their findings and implementing them […] as implementing and research institutions are working closely together in the present, we see that there have been rapid progress, in technology for instance […]. Take cow milk for instance, we have produced about 800 liters per day but no one has bought it. One thing is because our people are not in the habit of drinking fresh cow milk […] it is not a simple thing to change people’s habits or behaviors. We needed to do it though. We must find a way to advertise about the cow milk (from the RAC farm in Preah Vihear). Some may not have known yet that the country has produced own cow milk […]
ADB Should Symbolically Fund SNEC
The Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC), established in 2002, at which time the Asian Development Bank promised to provide 600,000 USD in its assistance with a purpose to streamline and ensure consistency in Prime Minister’s speeches […] the 600,000 USD never come. Their objective was to provide assistance to set up the office and training. One major reason was maybe we have appointed the best human resources to the council – HE Aun Pornmuniroth, HE Hang Chuon Naron, etc. […] even until now, ADB gives us nothing (for SNEC). I think they should give something as a symbol […]
For Consistency in Research Works
How do we go about doing research and relating (them to demands) for implementation? I am sure HE Aun Pornmuniroth, the Academician General, will work it out with RAC […] we must ensure consistency in our research, or with so many researches done, we would not know which ones to follow. I would not lose my way around with them. I have my way of doing things. I like to do my own research and make evaluations of situation. In the course of political negotiations in 1980s, HE Dith Munti and Samdech Tia Banh have been with me all along, we always conducted our research and evaluations on what would be the issue brought up by other sides. We always have our conclusion and position written and shared with everyone. Everyone is to take same posture and speak more or less the same language […]
Researching Urgent Regional and World Topics
RAC should be conducting researches on topic of urgency, if I may share my opinion. It is true that we must administer researches of topics relating to history. However, we have many issues of urgent need for understanding before us. For instance, after and if ever the UK leaves European Union, whether there will or will not be a deal, what would happens to the UK economy. What would be the repercussions to other countries in Europe? […] we should spend our resource on studies of the facts about what is really happening. As I said earlier, we need to streamline inputs from research findings to implementing institutions rather than just sending them to the Prime Minister for further actions […]
Temporarily Suspend Bestowing Titles of Honors, OK to Lab and Tourism Training
I am sharing the joys that Your Excellency and Lok Chumteav are bestowed with honoring titles today. In reference to suggestion from HE Aun Pornmuniroth, the Academician General, in order to ensure and maintain the value of academician titles, temporarily, we will suspend as of now conferring more titles. As for the rank and title of academicians within the RAC, it will be up to RAC to decide […] as for the two proposals – I am giving my approvals now, firstly, to set up a roughly 200,000 USD lab for plants propagations […] and secondly, to conduct professional tourism training […]
We Want EBA but Cannot Trade Laws and Independence for It
The other day Palau told me that his country purchases rice from the US and Australia. He told me they were expensive. Transportation costs are also high. I suggested to him to consider buying rice from Cambodia […] I checked the other day on rice export statistics. It is a subject worth learning. Italy and Spain are having difficulties selling their rice. They are not happy with rice from Cambodia and Myanmar. They find ways to impose tax on us. Initially I thought we could have difficulties maintaining our export of rice to Europe. On the contrary, we continue to export rice to 23 out of 28 countries in Europe. Before and after taxes imposed we are able to export rice to their markets. In the time to come, in case they withdraw EBA from us, our businesses will continue. Losing market and losing EBA are two different matters. EBA is subject to being withdrawn one day […] we do not intend to lose it but we cannot trade our laws and independence for it. Should they require us to pay tax, we would just do so. Only we would earn less profit. Our market is still there. By 2025 or 2026, we would have to pay tax when our economy [grows to a point] that [they no longer see it is necessary to offer us] such favor.
Holding on Tight to National Pulse
In Cambodia, we opted to distributing land to people and we embarked on the free market economy path, starting with transition from centrally planned to free market economy, and combining the two there later. When we realized the Paris Peace Agreement, Cambodia had already implemented the free market economy. Consequently, we have been working on improving our free market module until at one stage we gained accession to the World Trade Organization. Vietnam gained accession to WTO after Cambodia did. On these points, people may judge who would be puppets and who would be the ones that pulled the strings […] it is on this note that I always say we must hold on tight to national pulse. We allow no one to control pulse of our nation. It is in this stake too that I am calling for a better management of our economy. We should spend eight and saving two from every ten that we make for reinvestment and other needs. We must not spend 15 while we make only ten […]
