BELTEI International Institute

A brance of BELTEI International Institute in Stung Meanchey, Phnom Penh

Overview

BELTEI, a private educational institute, was founded on January 01, 2002 at 77, Street 125, Sangkat Veal Vong, Khan 7 Makara, Phnom Penh and was the first BELTEI International Institute and named BELTEI one. BELTEI is an acronym consisting of six major subjects: Business, Economics, Law, Tourism, English, and Information Technology.

The reinforced concrete and five-story institute has 29 classrooms and 9 restrooms. There is a terrace on the fifth floor where the students could do exercise and relax after class or at break time and the ground floor is used for parking.

The institute has spread its branches to 9 locations in the Capital city of Phnom Penh. Another branch, the 10th, is under construction in 2010.

The institute was founded by Dr. Ly Chheng, an advisor to the Council of Ministers, with the rank of Under-Secretary of State, the Director-General of BELTEI Group Co.,Ltd..

BELTEI provide education services ranging from GEP, TOEFL preparation and K-12.

Academic Programs

-Khmer General Education

• Kindergarten

• Elementary school education (grade 1-6)

• Junior high school education (grade 7-9)

• High school education (grade 10-12)

-English

• GEP: Kindergarten – adult programs

• TOEFL preparation

• Foundation year (English)

• Associate/Bachelor degrees of Arts in English

-Computer trainings

Curriculum

-National-based curriculum for K-12

-International, American-based curriculum for English

Teaching Language

English & Khmer instructions

Facilities

Premium language and computer labs, conference hall, classrooms, library, meeting rooms

Additional Service

Mini-bus with charging fees

Admission

Pre-grade one

-Any student who enrolls in pre-Grade 1 must be at least 5 years old.

- Primary, Junior and High School (Grade 1-12)

-6 years onwards

-for any transference, students must have previous official academic records

-Students having no previous official academic records must be tested to measure ability before admission

-signed application from patrons/parents

-birth certificate/family book required

-faculty of Arts in English

-high school graduate

-official high school fail-certificate

GEP

-students must undergo placement tests

Fees

-Ranging from $300 to $450 per year with additional charging

Affiliate Partners/Branches

9 branches: BELTEI Campus 1 (Kirirom), BELTEI Campus 2 (Stop Tuol Tumpoung), BELTEI Campus 3 (DN), BELTEI Campus 4 (Phsar Deum Thkov), BELTEI Campus 5 (Chbar Ampoeu), BELTEI Campus 6 (O’Rusey), BELTEI Campus 7 (Loksang or Preah Kossamak Hospital), BELTEI Campus 8 (Pochintong), BELTEI Campus 9 (Stung Meanchey), and BELTEI Campus 10 (West of Ang Tuk Olympic)

Address

Head Office

Address: #25A, St.105, Boeng Prolit, Khan 7 Makara,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Tel:012 823 666

023 9999 86

023 9999 75

Fax:023 996 889

E-mail: info@beltei.edu.kh

Website: http://www.beltei.edu.kh

Beeline cooperates with ABA Bank to provide a new service to their customers

Press Release

4th November 2010 Phnom Penh

Beeline Cambodia announces today the cooperation with ABA Bank to provide a new service which will help customers to top up their phone balance without a scratch card.

The new service allows customers to purchase Beeline PIN codes through ABA’s ATM network and also via ibank* (internet banking) across the country. Beeline subscribers can buy PIN codes through these ways from $2 to $5 in value.

“We are confident that our cooperation will help us provide more facilities to our subscribers and also help our partner to serve their clients with additional services” said Mr. Benoit Janin, Commercial Director.

“ABA Bank is very happy to cooperate with Beeline Cambodia! It is important for us to provide our clients with new services and to offer the latest technologies and solutions for payments and transactions. Now we have 28 ATM's (in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang and Sihanoukville) More will be installed during 2011” said Mr. Juveris Tenisons, Chief Marketing Officer of ABA Bank.

China trade surpasses 2009

The Phnom Penh Post

Friday, 05 November 2010, by May Kunmakara

TRADE between Cambodia and China over the first nine months of 2010 has already surpassed the total amout recorded last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce’s Camcontrol department obtained yesterday.

Bilateral trade totalled US$813 million in 2010 to the end of September, a 3 percent rise compared to the whole of 2009, the figures revealed.

The data was released as 16 deals were inked in Phnom Penh between officials and businessmen from the two countries, presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen and Wu Bangguo, chairman of the standing committee of China’s National Peoples Congress.

One of the deals saw Cambodia’s largest mobile provider, Mobitel secure US$591 million in refinancing, with the Bank of China as lead arranger.

Speaking after the meeting, Kaom Kosal, cabinet chief of Cambodia’s National Assembly, told reporters that China would import more products from Cambodia in the future, as China regarded the Kingdom as a close neighbour.

“[Wu Bangguo] will help Chinese entrepreneurs import more products from Cambodia, especially rice,” he said.

Some government officials said that trade had surged after the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement kicked in on January 1 this year, reducing tariffs on many goods.

“The recent China Free Trade Agreement helps to increase imports and exports between the two countries,” said Ministry of Commerce Secretary of State Ok Boung.

There was also increased demand for the Kingdom’s exports in China, as living standards and purchasing power was on the upswing in the People’s Republic, he said.

Cambodia’s exports have “increased because their economy is growing, so they need more imports from us”, he said. “Our economy is also improving, as we can produce more for export.”

Cambodia’s exports to China totaled $37 million in the first nine months, a 157 percent increase on shipments during the whole of 2009, according to statistics.

The Kingdom’s main exports to China include agricultural products, rubber, fish products, timber, and garments and textiles, the statistics show.

Ok Boung said Cambodia normally imported raw garment materials and machinery from the People’s Republic.

“I hope there will be an even larger increase in the future, as the two nations have done a lot of trade deals with each other,” he said.

First modern abattoir planned for Kingdom

The Phnom Penh Post

Friday, 05 November 2010, by Im Navin

MONG Reththy Group plans to invest US$1.5 million to $3 million to build Cambodia’s first modern slaughterhouse in Phnom Penh next year.

Mong Reththy, local tycoon and senate member, said the new abattoir would ensure meat quality and provide sanitary conditions in which to kill animals. He said Cambodia needed a modern slaughterhouse to maintain people’s health.

“Our neighbouring countries already have modern slaughterhouses, so we have to.”

But he warned the slaughterhouse would not be built until next year because there were not enough pigs and cows in the country to support it.

He called on farmers to raise more pigs to meet demand.

“Building a slaughterhouse for only imported animals would be useless, because we are still insecure about whether those animals would get ill or not - even though they are examined by veterinarians,” Mong Rethy said. Currently, about 1,000 animals a day are brought to market in Phnom Penh.

Ministry of Agriculture production and veterinary service chief Keo Phal said though Cambodia did not yet have any modern slaughterhouses, traditional facilities had been developed to ensure public health.

“We have veterinarians in slaughterhouses to examine meat for people. We welcome this plan because it also is our long-time plan,” he said.

Sok Touch, head of the Ministry’s anti-infection department, said the slaughterhouse went along with the deal between the government and the World Health Organisation to fight and prevent infectious diseases.

“Recently we faced many problems, such as blue ear and foot-and-mouth disease. All of these are infectious diseases that can transfer from animals to humans, so the standards [of] slaughterhouses can help us fight them,” he said.

Riel reacts on Fed stimulus

The Phnom Penh Post

Friday, 05 November 2010, by Nguon Sovan

CAMBODIA’S riel appreciated to 4,135 against the greenback at some money lenders yesterday, as the United States announced huge quantitative easing measures to kick start its economic recovery.

The value of the dollar has slipped since the Federal Reserve announced a plan on Wednesday to spend US$600 billion on government bonds over the next year as part of a scheme of quantitative easing.

The news – which was higher than many forecasts – lifted hopes that the world’s biggest economy could see stronger growth, although some policy makers fretted about the knock-on effects for Asian economies.

The dollar fell against other currencies following the Fed decision. It fetched 80.82 yen in Tokyo trade yesterday, slipping from 81.12 late on Wednesday in New York.

The dollar had fallen over the past few weeks as dealers anticipated the move, at one point hitting a 15-year low of 80.21 against the yen.
Meanwhile, the riel has appreciated after a six-month decline.

According to the daily statistics complied by the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Promotion Department, riel currency strengthened 1.9 percent to 4,185 riel per US dollar yesterday from 4,212 riel per US dollar a day on Wednesday.

Its value has risen up to 3.2 percent, from 4,272 riel per US dollar at the end of August.

Chan Sophal, president of Cambodian Economic Association, said yesterday that the appreciation was not surprising.

“The riel appreciation is due to the depreciation of US dollar, as the US has released more currency in the market,” he said. Tal Nay Im, director general of the National Bank of Cambodia, was overseas yesterday, and could not be reached for comment.

As the riel appreciates, the price of gasoline prices in Cambodia has also increased. It rose by 1 percent yesterday to 4,600 riel a litre from 4,550 riel a day earlier, the statistics from the Commerce Ministry showed.

Asian markets also rose yesterday following the Fed’s move. Tokyo’s Nikkei soared 2.17 percent, or 198.80 points, to 9,358.78, with sentiment also boosted by strong earnings reports. Hong Kong jumped 1.18 percent by the break and Shanghai gained 1.26 percent. Sydney ended 0.48 percent, or 22.7 points, higher at 4,745.3. Qantas slipped almost four percent intraday as news broke that one of its A380 superjumbos had got into trouble over Indonesia in an engine incident.

“It was a wild night, so it’s early days, but with QE2 in the bag, the market might start to view positive US economic data in a more bullish light,” Macquarie Private Wealth adviser Shannon Briggs said.

Oil rose on hopes that demand in the US would rise after the Fed announcement. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, rose 52 cents to $85.21 a barrel, while Brent North Sea crude for December gained 61 cents to $86.99. Gold closed at $1,358.00-1,359.00 an ounce in Hong Kong yesterday, down from Wednesday’s close of $1,354.50-1,355.50.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING AFP

Cambodia’s new stock exchange: not just a numbers game

The Phnom Penh Post

Friday, 05 November 2010, by Steve Finch

ALTHOUGH the number of licences issued to firms to act on behalf of the long-awaited Cambodian stock exchange represents an important consideration, the experience of the companies approved is perhaps more significant. So too critical factors that remain unresolved, such as the currency of operation.

In terms of numbers of licensed firms, seven underwriters would seem excessive during the opening phase of trading as there will almost certainly only be three firms listed. That means some will see no underwriting business from the outset and will have to bank on the exchange’s early success in attracting new IPOs.

What the Security and Exchange Commission of Cambodia announcement did not make fully clear on Tuesday is that many approved underwriters are licensed to perform multiple roles. OSK Indochina Securities has been approved to act as a dealer, broker and adviser as well as an underwriter, it announced on October 21. Similarly, SBI Phnom Penh Securities has received a “full licence” to operate as a securities firm.

In terms of the number of firms licensed, the SECC appears to have approved a total that is more than adequate to start out with spare capacity for the expected rise in IPOs once the exchange gains momentum. As noted by SECC Director General Ming Bankosal in March, approving the 22 companies that applied for licences would have been too many.

More important is the level of expertise brought in to operate with the exchange. With little or no experience of securities markets, Cambodia has rightly approved companies with a wealth of experience overseas.

The SECC approved licences for two majority Malaysian firms along with Vietnamese companies, a South Korean firm and CAB Securities of India – all of which have invaluable securities market expertise. Cambodia Capital Securities is expected to play a key role following years of experience connecting businesses to foreign investors.

None of this expertise will necessarily guarantee the success of the stock exchange though. The key to a solid start has to be a strong foundation based on well-considered regulations, some of which remain unclear and incomplete. A decision on listings in riel, United States dollars or both is just as critical. Should the exchange launch prematurely, confidence at the opening bell would most certainly be undermined.

In terms of the quality and quantity of licensed operators within the market, the SECC has established the necessary foundations based on setting aside national pride for practicality purposes.

In relation to the start date and choice of currency, the commission would be well advised to follow in a similar vein – a rushed launch with listings in riels would only lead to a critical lack of confidence in a market many investors still consider overly risky.

Look to neighbours, says institute

The Phnom Penh Post

Friday, 05 November 2010, by Chun Sophal

WASHINGTON DC-based Institute of International Food Policy Research urged Cambodia to catch-up with Thai and Vietnamese experience to increase rice production and ensure food security yesterday.

Bingxin Yu, a researcher for Washington DC Institute of International Food Policy, said in the round table meeting on agriculture and food security in Cambodia that the Kingdom should look to its neighbours.

“Cambodia is known [as] a country of rich water and agricultural fertilising lands, but it still has a low harvest yield comparing to Thailand and Vietnam,” she said.

“Cambodia can follow good experience from those countries in promoting development and agricultural research to strengthen quality and test types of rice,” said Bingxin Yu.

Rice yield could be slightly increased by better farming, including intensifying technology use, according to Yu’s policy and discussion document.

Based on the document, Vietnam uses 324 kilograms of chemical fertiliser per hectare and gets a rice yield of 4.89 tonnes per hectare. Thailand, which uses 133 kg, gets 2.74 tonnes per hectare.

Cambodia uses between 72 and 105kg per hectare and sees its rice output reach 2.54 tonnes per hectare.

“Cambodian farmers can gain more rice yield if they use more fertiliser,” said Yu.

But Mak Soeun, chief of Agricultural Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said that the ministry does not encourage farmers to use more fertiliser on farmlands.

“Utilising fertiliser on farmland is just a minority factor in increasing rice output, not the main factor,” said Mak Soeun.

“Our stand is to urge farmers to follow proper planting technology such as natural intensification because we don’t want farmers to spend much and cause damage to environment of using chemical fertiliser,” he said.

Theng vuthy, a coordinator for the Poor Agricultural Program and Rural Development of Institute of Training and Research for Cambodian Development, said that increased rice output was crucial for Cambodia.

He recommended the governemnt boost its water resource budget.

Business friendliness in Cambodia declines

The Phnom Penh Post

Friday, 05 November 2010, by Matthew Backhouse

CAMBODIA’S business friendliness has declined in world rankings despite gains for exporters and entrepreneurs, according to a World Bank report.

The Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs report, which compared business regulations across 183 economies, ranked Cambodia 147th place for the ease of doing business, down from 145th place last year.

The drop came despite improved rankings in the ease of foreign trade and starting new companies.

Cambodia was the seventh most improved economy for trading across borders, climbing nine places to 118th. That was due to a reduction in the amount of paperwork for importing and exporting goods.

“Cambodia eliminated pre-shipment inspections, reducing the time and number of documents required for importing and exporting,” the report said.

Despite the change, the amount of paperwork needed to export goods remained the eighth highest in the world.

The ease of starting a business in Cambodia climbed three places over last year’s low base, to 170th.

However, the time needed to start a business still ranked poorly, at an average of 85 days – measured as the third longest in the East Asia-Pacific region.

Cambodia was also the third slowest country to issue construction permits, with an average wait of 709 days.

Government releases survey results of young people most at risk of HIV

Press Release

Phnom Penh, 4 November 2010

Forty per cent of all new HIV infections globally are reported to be among young people aged 15-24. While the epidemic affects populations around the world differently, across all populations adolescents and young adults, particularly young women, have been identified as the most vulnerable to HIV.

While Cambodia is experiencing relative success in preventing new HIV infections, with around 35 per cent of Cambodia’s population aged between 10 and 24 years, a potential resurgence of the epidemic among most-at-risk-populations, particularly involving young people, is raising new concern.

Unsafe behaviour related to drug use, alcohol and unsafe sexual practices can lead to HIV and other infections. The risks are intensified by little or no access to sexual and reproductive health services and no protection from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Today, the Inter-departmental Committee on AIDS and Drugs (ICHAD) of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports will launch the findings of a survey on Cambodia’s most at risk young people, which was carried out to learn more about and address multiple risk behaviours of young people in the context of HIV and AIDS.

The goal of the survey was to provide policymakers and planners with reliable data on alcohol, drug and sex related behaviours and access to sexual and reproductive health services among young people who are most at risk of HIV infection. This includes young people who are involved in multiple unprotected sexual partnerships and injecting drugs with non-sterile equipment, among others.

The survey, which was implemented by the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance with support from UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO, UNFPA, UNESCO, PSI, FHI, Friends International and other partners, represents continuing commitment and efforts to obtain age disaggregated data on Cambodia’s young population and their health and risk to HIV infection and drugs. According to the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, H.E. Im Sethy, “we wanted to conduct research that would help us to identify the best methods to mitigate the strong challenging issues that make it unsafe for young people in Cambodia”.

The research involved interviews with over 2,400 young people between the ages of 10 to 24 at “hot spots” - areas thought to have high rates of HIV-risky behaviour, in eight provinces. Young people, including most at risk young people, were closely involved in all stages of the research.

Findings from the survey highlight strong interactions between all risk behaviours among young people, as well as a need for stronger collaboration and coordination between civil society and government stakeholders from different sectors. According to Richard Bridle, UNICEF’s Representative, “it will require concerted joint efforts to ensure that policies and programs respond appropriately to the needs of young people most at risk, and protect their rights to correct information and services, including condoms”.

The report provides a number of recommendations to programmers, policymakers and researchers that, if taken on board, could help to accelerate HIV prevention efforts among Cambodia’s young most at risk population.

Office rental prices decline as supply rises

The Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 03 November 2010, by Soeun Say

PRICES for Phnom Penh’s office space have fallen by as much as 25 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, as some building owners say they are having difficulty reeling in tenants despite decreasing rates.

Top-quality “Grade A” office space is averaging between US$20 to $30 per square metre, down from $25 to $35 a square metre last year, according to a report released yesterday by the National Valuers Association of Cambodia. Keuk Narin, secretary of the NVA, said prices for office space had been on the decline all year, with most buildings offering space some 10 to 25 percent cheaper at the end of September from the same time last year.

The supply and demand balance was highlighted as a factor. Seng Sopheak, manager of property valuation at Cambodia Property Limited, said yesterday that supply had risen by 20 percent in Phnom Penh during the first nine months of the year and was set to rise further. But added that he believed prices had stabilised in the third quarter.

Some landlords yesterday expressed pessimism about the state of the office rental market. Bayon Building Centre general manager Chheang Meng said he had nearly halved his asking price to $10 per square metre. “I’m at my last price – but still nobody is interested,” he said.

The NVA report showed that although some big buildings stood well below full occupancy, others were doing well.

Canadia Tower claimed 70 percent occupancy in October, while the Attwood Business Centre was 65 percent full.

However, the Delano Business Center was 94 percent full with a starting price of $10.50 a square metre.

David Simister, Chairman of CB Richard Ellis Indochina, said that while there were noticeable vacancies in some buildings, foreign companies were increasingly coming to the Kingdom, which would push up demand.