Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Ministry plans to seize nonproducing salt flats

Ministry plans to seize nonproducing salt flats

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Minister of Industry and Handicrafts Cham Prasidh discusses the ministry’s annual report on Tuesday in Phnom Penh. FACEBOOK

Ministry plans to seize nonproducing salt flats

A ministry of Industry and Handicrafts report shows the ministry plans to seize land from salt makers if it is not being used to produce the essential seasoning, citing rules that the land was allocated in the past for salt production.

In its annual report released on Tuesday, the ministry said it is working to ensure that salt flats, which were provided by the state in the late 1990s, that are unused or being used for other purposes would be taken back by the government in the salt-producing provinces of Kampot and Kep.

“This is in the case where the owners no longer use the salt farmland for a certain period of time or change the salt land for another purpose,” the report reads.

Laim Kim Leng, deputy chief for the ministry’s department for small and medium enterprises, said the procedures for implementing the initiative would involve including clauses in land sale contracts that would allow for the confiscation of incorrectly utilised salt flats.

“Salt is very important for our country. We cannot just let them do what they want,” he said.Currently, the two provinces have about 4,400 hectares of salt flats and produced 148,900 tonnes of salt last year. However the sector is plagued by low demand and falling prices.

Pov Son, who owns a 20-hectare salt farm in Kep, said that he was hoping to use the land for other purposes, like building a new home, but was unable to given the ministry’s plan.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom

  • PM warns of int’l election interference

    With the national election scheduled to take place in less than two months, Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned foreign nations and their diplomats not to interfere into Cambodia’s domestic affairs. He also hinted that their statements on court verdicts handed down to any