The Communicable Diseases Control Department of the Health Ministry released figures last month, around 100 new cases diagnosed was found swine flu. The figures show that there are a total of 693 people contracted the virus by Jul 29, increasing up from 591 identified cases as of June 24.
“The rate of infection had been slow in the first five months of the year, and had begun increasing significantly in Ju,” Ly Sovann, deputy director of the department, was quoted by the Post as saying.
He added that “in Cambodia, the flu season starts when the rainy seasons starts, so usually from May or June, you see an increasing number of people with flu. You’re going to get more people with flu anyway.”
A(H1N1) influenza virus has first detected in the Cambodia in June 2009, and contacted six fatalities, causing 18-month-old boy died in December.
In order to expand a loading capacity, second terminal of Phnom Penh Port will be expanded within next two years located about 25 kilometers east of Phnom Penh Capital. The second terminal will give a loading capacity of 300,000 TEU containers per year, a dramatic increase from the current limit of 60,000 to 80,000 TEUs per year.
Cambodian government received loan from China last year in order to build second port located in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district. And China-based Shanghai Construction has been contracted for the first stage of construction covering an area of 12 hectares. The second stage will cover another 8 hectares.
The first US$28 million stage of the two-stage build – slated to begin in September and take 22 months to complete – will create a total capacity of 120,000 TEUs per year once complete. That figure will increase to 300,000 TEUs once the second stage is finished.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen signed deals with the Chinese government worth US$850 to spend on development projects on October 15 in Cambodia. Around $68 million of loans was slated for the development of Phnom Penh’s port capacity.
In order to boost Cambodian economy and tourism sector, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), which is national airplane set up last July in a joint venture between the Cambodian government and Vietnam Airlines, will buy two new planes in order to expand its flights network to South Korea, Japan and China.
Two planes set to purchase are 168-seat Airbus 321s, according to a price list compiled by the French maker cost about USD95.5 million each.
Soy Sokhan, undersecretary of state at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, the organisation in charge of the Cambodian side of CAA, said yesterday that the purchases were planned for “late 2010 or early 2011”, reported the Post.
The company’s initial investment was worth USD100 million under a 30-year-agreement. And there are only two planes-ATR-72 aircraft and an Airbus 321- operating in 16 daily flights serving Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City.
The figures from the General Insurance Association of Cambodia – GIAC – revealed that the premium revenues from Cambodia’s insurance sector was up by 18 percent to USD8.2 million during the first five months of 2010, but it was down 25 percent compared to the same period last year.
Chhay Rattanak, GIAC Chairman, was quoted by the Post as saying that the premiums from firs insurance contributed 26 percent, motor and miscellaneous insurance 25 percent each, and medical and health insurance, 16 percent to revenues.
The sum for claims in the first five months of 2010 was USD2.34 million, down 25 percent in comparison with the same period last year.
In General, the trend for buying premium insurance has been increasing. The upward trend is back on track, especially engineering and medical insurance, said Rattanak. He forecast that the industry would grow by between 10 to 15 percent this year.
At the present, there are six insurances companies operating in Cambodia, including Forte, CAMINCO, Asia, Campubank Lonpac, Infinity, and Cambodia-Vietnam Insurance. The insurance industry made total premium revenue of USD20.07 million last year.