Sam Rainsy during the commune election campaign (Photo: Cambodge Soir)Tuesday, May 15, 2007
By Duong sokha
Cambodge Soir
Unofficial Translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read Cambodge Soir’s original article in French
Starting from 01 June, the SRP will pay each month, $25 to its commune chiefs, thereby doubling their current salaries. This measure aims at turning these local elected officials into “clean and exemplary” officials by helping them resist the temptations.
The SRP decided to provide help to its 28 commune chiefs in order to help them avoid any temptations. Starting from 01 June, the SRP will pay them 100,000 riels ($25) each per month, this in effect will double these village chiefs’ current salary. Sam Rainsy explained this action as the party desire to turn the SRP communes into “clean and exemplary communes,” i.e., the SRP hopes to keep them incorruptible.
As expected, the news was welcomed by the party members. Touch Meng Sreang, the Boeng Salang Sangkat chief in Phnom Penh, did not hear about this news yet: “That’s good. This will encourage us. But, we were already working to the maximum during the last mandate,” Touch Meng Sreang said while insisting that he was re-elected because of his previous “results.” The SRP generosity does not bring smile to the CPP. When he learnt about this news, Sok El, the Ka Kap Sangkat chief in Phnom Penh, said tersely: “Good for them. I am not jealous and I will not ask anything form my party,” he confessed. Nevertheless, he is not doing well with his $25 monthly salary: his wife who works in the field, and his children who take care a small shop at home, help him make ends meet in the family.
“Partisan” logic
The SRP bonus also created irritations at the Ministry of Interior. Sak Setha, the general director of the administration in charge of decentralization, denounces this partisan logic which does not serve the general interest: “If he really has a big heart, why doesn’t he give money to all the commune chiefs in the country? This is a partisan tactic. This is only a personal subsidy, not a development strategy to the service of the general interest,” he said. According to Sak Setha, the State dedicates each month more than $1 million in salary to the commune councilors. “It the economy is developed, we can eventually increase their salaries,” he slipped.
Beyong the goal it was aiming at – fighting against corruption – the SRP gesture seems to be welcomed because it comes at a time when the Prime Minister recently announced that the salaries of public servants would be increased starting next year by 25%. The SRP measure will cost this party only $700 per month in order to double the salary of 28 commune chiefs. If the CPP, which counts 1591 commune chiefs, were to imitate the SRP, it would cost no less than $39,000 each month. If the State were to decide to double the salaries of all the 1,621 commune chiefs in the country, it would have to pay $40,500 extra per month.
Irrespective of the amount of money spent, Kul Panha, the executive director of Comfrel, believes that it would be better if the SRP intervenes with the Ministry of interior to ask for an increase of salary for all the commune councilors, irrespective of their party affiliations. “The fact that a political party pays directly its commune councilors, this could make people think that these councilors are under its tutelage,” Kul Panha said with regret. Nevertheless, he remembers that the SRP promised during the election campaign that its commune councilors would not accept bribes during the exercise of the mandate. “The increase of the commune chiefs’ salary is maybe one way to assure that this promise will be fulfilled,” he said.
The SRP decided to provide help to its 28 commune chiefs in order to help them avoid any temptations. Starting from 01 June, the SRP will pay them 100,000 riels ($25) each per month, this in effect will double these village chiefs’ current salary. Sam Rainsy explained this action as the party desire to turn the SRP communes into “clean and exemplary communes,” i.e., the SRP hopes to keep them incorruptible.
As expected, the news was welcomed by the party members. Touch Meng Sreang, the Boeng Salang Sangkat chief in Phnom Penh, did not hear about this news yet: “That’s good. This will encourage us. But, we were already working to the maximum during the last mandate,” Touch Meng Sreang said while insisting that he was re-elected because of his previous “results.” The SRP generosity does not bring smile to the CPP. When he learnt about this news, Sok El, the Ka Kap Sangkat chief in Phnom Penh, said tersely: “Good for them. I am not jealous and I will not ask anything form my party,” he confessed. Nevertheless, he is not doing well with his $25 monthly salary: his wife who works in the field, and his children who take care a small shop at home, help him make ends meet in the family.
“Partisan” logic
The SRP bonus also created irritations at the Ministry of Interior. Sak Setha, the general director of the administration in charge of decentralization, denounces this partisan logic which does not serve the general interest: “If he really has a big heart, why doesn’t he give money to all the commune chiefs in the country? This is a partisan tactic. This is only a personal subsidy, not a development strategy to the service of the general interest,” he said. According to Sak Setha, the State dedicates each month more than $1 million in salary to the commune councilors. “It the economy is developed, we can eventually increase their salaries,” he slipped.
Beyong the goal it was aiming at – fighting against corruption – the SRP gesture seems to be welcomed because it comes at a time when the Prime Minister recently announced that the salaries of public servants would be increased starting next year by 25%. The SRP measure will cost this party only $700 per month in order to double the salary of 28 commune chiefs. If the CPP, which counts 1591 commune chiefs, were to imitate the SRP, it would cost no less than $39,000 each month. If the State were to decide to double the salaries of all the 1,621 commune chiefs in the country, it would have to pay $40,500 extra per month.
Irrespective of the amount of money spent, Kul Panha, the executive director of Comfrel, believes that it would be better if the SRP intervenes with the Ministry of interior to ask for an increase of salary for all the commune councilors, irrespective of their party affiliations. “The fact that a political party pays directly its commune councilors, this could make people think that these councilors are under its tutelage,” Kul Panha said with regret. Nevertheless, he remembers that the SRP promised during the election campaign that its commune councilors would not accept bribes during the exercise of the mandate. “The increase of the commune chiefs’ salary is maybe one way to assure that this promise will be fulfilled,” he said.
17 comments:
I welcome that move by the SRP,
and I hope the chiefs will be
patient and stay out of temptation
for the good of the country.
If you want to continue to pay penny to your People, you can get only monky for this low salary. People need to live with liveable salary. Their income need to bring them to a level which they can live with dignity and harmony. If they cannot survive with low salary, they have to steal and to rob. That is very natural. Areak Prey
Agreed, but what is liveable
salary to you? Give me some number
to work with will ya?
Do Many high ranking officials and members of parliaments in the current government involve in corruption because of their salaries are little ?
Perhaps is not. MPs is about $2000/month, PM is more and ministers are the same as MPs. Generals are base on numbers of stars.
Human needs are not endless, corruption is based the social trends becoming self as well as social addiction. However, it was originally stemmed from small needy and greedy at first place.
It just like people who start to drinking alcohol and using street drugs. Each day it is become a norm and pattern, and by the time they know they get hooked.
Should pay all goverment official at least same level to the factory workers!
It is a good idea for SRP to start doing something from now, do not wait for and push the CPP to do it. This is the pressure to CPP to think about their actions, whether to pay also or to press SRP not to pay that. Either one will make CPP feel bad or need to do something. Mover foreward to do other things!
True, 8:38, now if the SRP can
start to talk trade with their EU
allieds and created some high
paying jobs for people. That will
even be a better for them to pick
up more votes, and had they done
that decade ago, they will
problably be the ruling after the
2008's election without having to
merge with anyone. It is not too
late to change strategy.
And yes 7:59, you are correct on
how one can get hook to drug and
corruption, and the deeper you are
in it, the harder it will be to get
out of it. That is why I have been
calling on a mandatory moral
education for all our kids in order
to secure our future. Should we
lose the battle to corruption in
our rotten generation, at least
the future generations will not
follow us to hell.
why not increase all communite leaders across Cambodia? What does it supposed to mean?
SRP comes up with a stupid idea one in a while.
Dear All, I think most you are still having KR mentality. We call your mentality as to use "COW WITHOUT ANY GRASS FEEDINGS".
To pay liveable level means
-1 month of rice cost ?
-1 month of cooking oil?
-1 month of assorted meat like chicken, pork, beef or fishes ?
-1 month of salt, seasoning, cooking gaz, water, electricity, petrol ?
An extra some monies for leasure, noodle coffee?
Can US$ 25 per month enough? If not enough, that mean your regime is a systematic corruption regime ?
You are open to corruption!!!! Talking about US$ 2000 per month and then still corrupted, instant jail. No further discussions to be added.
Why between two human being, one is being paid US$ 25 per month and another US$ 2000 per month? What different between these two men or women? One with one leg and another got four legs? THe different is so huge. From my calculation, a liveable salary in Cambodia should be at minimum US$ 100 per month and then you can get ridge of corruption. Areak Prey
6:19, I hope you are not suggesting
that we go communist because you
can't stand a few rich people. You
know fair well that this is
inevitable in any Capitalist
economy. So let's us not complaint
about nonsense.
As for 100$/month salary, which
translated to 1,200$/year, allow me
put it perspective for you. Yes,
it is a nice goal for our
government to reckon with but many
nations including India barely make
that number. So if these nations
have a hard time achieving this
goal, what make you think that
it will be easy for us or any
of our oppositions? Does our
oppositions have magic wands
inside their sleeves or something
or most of Asian leaders are plain
stupid and retarded? China's
average income is only about
$1,500/years and they have been
industialized since their culture
revolution.
Aside from the above
consideration, for average people
to make 100$/month or 1,200$/yr.
salary. We must boost our GDP up
to 15 billions USD; otherwise,
no can do. Right now we stand at
about 7 billions USD. Thus, we
need to add more bussinesses at
this point since we don't have
the hitech skills yet. Therefore,
stop fucking around with nonsenses
and focus on the economy, and I
mean everyone, not government
alone. Get it?
go study economics again dumbass. just eat 20 dolars a month first before you open your book theory on economic pretending to be a expert.
Alright them, how much do you
think people need in order to get
by?
PS: And oh guys, aint this bonus
salary from the SRP considered
as "vote bying" for the 2008's
election? It looks like it. If so,
I think the SRP should stop
cheating. Otherwise, the 2008's
election may turned out as a
disaster. Don't forget, if the
SRP cheated, the CPP will do the
same.
SRP increased this salary to respect his promise during election compaign.
And this increasing is good sample for government that use illegal monies to their agents in order to monopoly power like they are carrying out in VN and China.
But Rainsy is bravery to announce it solemnly...not secretly like CPP
SRP is setting an example for others to follow, but this example is a bad one.
CPP can use this axample as an excuse to give $$ to their members (commute leaders) and ignore the rest.
this example will create a sense of division and left none-members behind. wasn't the promise during campaign for all cambodians, then?
Guys, it aint as good as it looks.
First, by just feeding the chiefs
and not the people below him,
what good will that really do?
Anyway, you haven't really answer
my question. Is the salary increase
a vote buying or not? not that I
care because Sam Rainsy is doomed
unless he started to do the
right things to make up for his
past mistakes.
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