For a number of years now-too many in fact-I have been looking for investors who

could inject some capital in the Phnom Penh Post to help the newspaper become more

competitive, expand staffing, upgrade equipment and keep me from having any more

sleepless nights worrying about making monthly payroll or finding a computer repairman

on a frantic Thursday deadline.

The larger goal has always been to increase the Post's ability to provide news and

analysis on events in Cambodia.

In this regard, readers will be interested to learn that I have come to an agreement

with a group of investors to do just that.

The three individuals who have agreed to jointly take a majority stake in the Post

are: Ross Dunkley, currently chief executive officer of Myanmar Consolidated Media

(MCM); Bill Clough, an Australian miner and oil and gas entrepreneur; and, Michel

Dauguet, a French businessman with more than a decade's worth of experience involved

in media and technology companies in Vietnam and Thailand.

For the immediate future I will remain as editor-in-chief of the Post and have been

assured that editorial control of the paper will remain in my hands. In this regard,

let me state for the record that I am fully committed to make every effort to retain

the standards of journalism excellence that the Post has tried to maintain since

its inception back in July, 1992.

For anybody with even the remotest understanding of the near manic process that surrounds

the collection of information and subsequent production of a newspaper on a shoe-string

budget (which includes managing the attendant cast of unique characters who participate

directly in this process), it is all too painfully clear that there are regular hiccups

along the road. But the overall intent has been, is and will remain clear: to produce

one of the best, most readable and most reliable newspapers in the world. This is

the goal and will remain so for as long as I continue to be responsible for the newspaper's

content.

When we hit the mark, readers have been generous in their praise; when we miss it,

the barbs usually fly rather quickly from numerous quarters. Either way, this is

to be encouraged and I hope that those who rely on the Post will continue to share

their thoughts with us on the quality of what we publish. Your input is welcomed

and most readers know exactly how to find us.

Otherwise, let me extend my sincerest best wishes to all Post readers, advertisers,

overseas subscribers, contributors and friends for the coming year. Your on-going

support and constructive criticism over the past 16 years has made the continued

existence of this paper a reality. And please rest assured that all of us here at

the Post are extremely grateful for that.

Michael Hayes

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief