Thursday, June 21, 2007

Mussomeli: Smuggling from overseas to Cambodia is corruption

Thursday, June 21, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

During a recent meeting with farmers raising pigs in Prey Nhoy village, Krol Ko commune, Svay Chrum district, Svay Rieng province, Joseph Mussomeli, the US Ambassador to Cambodia, said that the smuggling of pigs and other goods from overseas to Cambodia without paying any custom fees is a “serious case of corruption.” Mussomeli made this remark when the farmers were asking the Cambodian government to help stop the illegal smuggling of foreign pigs into Cambodia, especially from Vietnam and Thailand.

With broad smiles on their faces, welcoming the visitors to their home, 22-year-old Kaing Cheav Lay and Sin Kanha, his 21-year-old wife, said during an interview with reporters, under the presence of Mussomeli, that: “Nowadays, our pig raising business has made a lot of progress, including the ability to manage and protect, this is much different from the past before we joined the Medium, Small, and Micro Enterprises (MSME) system of Cambodia.”

The strengthening of MSME in Cambodia is a program to sustain the economy supported by USAID which is operating in four Cambodian provinces where the population incomes are low, such as Kampong Cham, Kratie, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng province. Mussomeli said: “I am very interested in what they are doing, and I don’t want honor the US government, but instead, I want to honor the Cambodian families that are involved in these enterprises because they received our guidance, and our support which allowed them to prosper with their small family businesses.”

Mussomeli noted that “in the span of only one year period, the 1,000 families which received the support from this program have made a lot of progress, they now have quality pigs to sell and their livelihood has improved much better than before.”

Mussomeli said: “There are a lot more work to be done and this involves corruption, because there are businessmen who imported pigs from Vietnam to sell in Phnom Penh without paying any custom fees, this is the reason why these pig farmers cannot compete with these businessmen.”

He added: “Because of this (corruption) issue, pig and fish farmers who take their stock to sell at the market, must pay taxes, or they have to pay fees to the cops, whereas the businessmen who brought in pigs or goods from Thailand or Vietnam, they sometimes don’t have to pay any tax at all.” Mussomeli went on to call the smuggling of pigs and goods from overseas to Cambodia without paying fees to the national budget as “a serious case of corruption.”

Mussomeli said: “Therefore, we must help Cambodian families a lot, then the farmers’ families will have the ability to make larger profits. They can make even more money than this if Cambodia can put to an end the corruption.”

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vice versa.
Just a warning:
Do not bring any american copy of CD or DVD from Cambodia to the USA , you could be fine up to $10,000.00 per copy if you got caught at the airport.

Anonymous said...

Read and Download Global witness talk about ah Hun Sen and his family corruption (with videos filmed by Global Witness):

(UPDATED)

http://blogbykhmer.blogspot.com/2007/06/prime-minister-hun-has-done-it-again.html
http://hunsenmafia.alkablog.com
http://hunsenmafia.blog.com
http://corruptionfamily.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

Ah Hun Sen is the chief of MAFIOSO CRIMINAL "3S" of institutional corruption in Cambodia

Anonymous said...

Good luck US Ambassador. I recalled in 1994, Sam Rainsy was ministry of Finance, caught thousands of illegal imported beers without paying taxes to the government. Guess who got sacked and fired from the ministry of finance. Mr. Mussomeli, if you continues your big mouth, you will be kicked out from Cambodia soon. Please stay quiet, let corruption ruins the country. That is how they were organized for years. 30 years now, Cambodia economy is booming reaching the top of the chart. Leave them alone. Every day, they brag, they are so prouded. They don't care who they left behind.

Anonymous said...

The Ambassador's term in Cambodia will be completed by the end of 2008 or Spring 2009.

Anonymous said...

9:05pm, what is your point? you seem bother by our ambassador who speak the truth and in the meantime you don't like what is going on in Cambodia either.I seriously think nobody can kick our ambassador out period.With us they(the khmer govt)i powerless.

Anonymous said...

US Ambassador is the best who helps and encourages Cambodians in remote rural areas to progress their lives

Thank US Ambassador very much

Anonymous said...

CPP (Communist Pro youn Party) lead
by ah Hun sen does nothing for Cambodia
but does corruption everywhere in
Cambodia

Anonymous said...

I'm grateful to US Ambassador Mussomeli. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

According to AH KHIEU KANARITH our beloved Samdech HUN SEN always occupied himself with reading and taking notes! I just hope that our beloved Samdech HUN SEN will do some reading and taking notes on economic 101 classes! aahhahhahahah!

The black-markets and the corruptions will be the kiss of death for all the things that our beloved Samdech HUN SEN claimed to do good for Cambodian economy and it won't be long Cambodian economy will collapse..

Anonymous said...

First congratulation for Ambassador who helps poor Cambodian people out of poverty. He should become Cambodia president and he is much better than the Khmer leader like hun sen. He went to visit poor rural Khmer.

Remember folks these CPP members are not educated and they never learn history that happens around the world. Remember Marcos and Thaksin. Hun Sen and his entourages will be next and Cambodian people will conficate their assets back to Cambodia. NOBODY WILL LAST FOR LONG. PEOPLE POWER CAN BRING DOWN THIS REGIME SOON.

Anonymous said...

kEEP UP YOUR HOPE 11:37pm.
am COME SOON!

Anonymous said...

Too bad the Ambassador did not make such remark during the CG meeting earlier this week. It would be more effective.

Anonymous said...

I have a serious doubt why would Mr. Ambassador want to take any interest in Cambodian pig farmers? ahahhaha!

Is it the minerals under those Cambodian pig farmers land that make Mr. Ambassador really care more about? The Uranium found mostly in Eastern part of Cambodian provinces!

Remember! A few pounds of Uranium can produce electricity for 10 years! Who wouldn’t like to get their hands on that yellow cake stuff! ahahhah

By the way, a lot of nuclear submarines are powered by nuclear power and its can stay under water for years and a years!

Anonymous said...

12:47am. you're wrong.
Our ambassador is concern about the plight of the poors and the powerless who have no right whatsoever to speak up and for the most part always stifle by their own govt . The unknown hidden treasure underground somewhere that are you talking about is just puny, the United States can easily get them from somewhere else and cheap .Remember ,Only the man of his caliber can get the attention of the arrogant ruler .Our ambassador is ,in the eye of the poors,their voices and saviors.

Anonymous said...

Let's look at it this way, our current government respect none of us little people. Are we kidding ourself? Mr. Embassador and may be only Mr. Embasssador can make a different. Depending on Ah Chen and Ah Youn? All of us will need to wait and see until we see a catfish growing shell and a horse growing horn. That will never happen. Those two ash....don't give a f... about Cambodia or our people, especially people with suffering issue. Why? they are the people suffering's maker themself!!!!!!! Don't we see how they treat their own people? Chinese people are the cheapest people on this Earth and Ah Vietcong's people are no different. Can they cough? or say any truth to their government? Please try and see what will happen yourself.Gooooooooooooood Luck!!!!!