Ministry and the CRF probe bogus claims on rice packages

01 Jun 2018  2048 | Cambodia Travel News

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
CRF and Ministry of Commerce officials are looking into the company responsible for the use of Angkor Wat as a logo on rice sacks. Photo supplied

The Ministry of Commerce and Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) are investigating rice packaging that uses Angkor Wat as its logo but claims to be a “Product of Thailand”.

Moul Sarith, the secretary-general of the CRF, said it is aware of the matter and is cooperating with the ministry to bring those responsible to book.

“We are cooperating with the Ministry of Commerce to investigate the source of the product, but at present we cannot say where it came from or who produced it. We will work with our embassies to find its distributor and origin,” he said,However, the CRF remains optimistic that such matters will not harm the Cambodian rice industry.

“We have just received this information, but I think it will not harm our rice exports as we have rice brand and logo controls, as well as checks for quality,” Sarith said.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith was alerted to the situation after he received a photo of the sacks from an American.

In a Facebook post, Kanharith urged the Ministry of Commerce to act against the packages printed with the Angkor Wat logo and the words “Premium Rice” in Khmer, and “Product of Thailand” in English.

Song Saran, CEO of AMRU Rice Co Ltd, said he had been aware of such bogus products for “many years”, especially in Cambodia’s export markets – the US and EU – and in other countries such as Australia.

“We informed the government many years ago about the bogus products but no action was ever taken to our knowledge,” he said.

He said it is an abuse of international trade law to use the World Heritage Site as a logo without registering with the Ministry of Commerce, and saying it was produced in Thailand or another country.

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