Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Officials from the ministry of commerce said that the sharp increase in the price of rice in the past 2 weeks was caused by middlemen shaking up the price. On his part, Kep Chuktema, the governor of Phnom Penh, believes that there could be people behind the instigation of this situation, this is why he called on the population to remain calm because the government is currently looking for these instigators. The Rasmei Kampuchea reported that on 24 March, the cheapest rice saw its price increasing from 2,000 riels ($0.50) per kilo to 2,300 riels ($0.58). The good quality rice, such as the Phka Mlis (Jasmin), Phka Kh-nhey (Ginger flower), saw their price rising up to 3,500 to 4,500 riels ($0.88 to $1.13) per kilo. An official from the ministry of commerce said on Monday that the ministry is looking to find the cause of this price increase. He said that based on preliminary report, it appears that middlemen are shaking up the price in combination with the approaching election. This official said that along the provinces of Prey Veng, Kampong Cham, Pursat, and Battambang, there is no much change in the price of rice. Kep Chuktema said that the increase in the price of rice is a bad sign because there are instigators behind it, he said that he ordered the police to look for these instigators to arrest them and bring them to justice.
19 comments:
Oh good, and I hope the Phnom Penher will help point out the instigator/s to our officials.
In any case, the price of rice is still too high even without the increase. We need more productivity to balance out the good of our farmers and consumers.
Of course, we must hunt down the responsible culprit -- which led to skyrocking prices of rice in Cambodia.
There are some reasons behind rice price increase:
1. Increaseing exports to Vietnam and Vietnam.
2. Sales of ricefields around Phnom Penh and other provinces for commercial and residential development
3. Bandwagon effects of increasing fuel price
4. Rice speculation; the same as land speculation
The government underestimates the impact of land price skyrocket. Nearly 50% of house buyers are speculators. They just buy and flip. When you get easy money, you spend easily on any things.
Kong Moeung
From my point of view, the rice consumers should not alarm the skyrocketting of rice price by these few days but they should bring the increasing price of ferttilizer to their consideration, which dramatically rises up to around $50 for package.
If the rice price still increases up, then it would give a possibility for farmers to purchase this chemical product to farm in coming raining season.
If rice price still increases, then the farmers would be able to enjoy their lifetime for awhile until the stock is empty.
If the rice price is still increased, then the poors would not be able to feed their children. So they must hold a mass demonstration demanding for changing in national policy.
Could the CPP or Kep Chutema use the increased price of rice as an excuse to hunt down opposition politicains? From what they said in the article look like they will hunt down oppositions as the price speculators or sabateurs of the economy. The CPP-govt. has no one to blame but its imcompetence. Why didn't CPP hunt down Sok Kong for speculating and increasing the price of petrol. In my opinion, no one intentionally caused the price of rice to increase. The increased price of rice happened as a result of:
1. Shortage of rice farms due to the sell off of rice farmlands, like one reader said earlier.
2. People are panic as election is drawing near. they are afraid that the violence, chaos, turbulence will break out so they are hording.
3. shortage of rice due to over-exports to overseas, Vietnam, Thailand and recently Philippines wants to import as well.
If the CPP want to hun down those who caused the rice price to go up, they must hunt down the big exporters, the big speculators who are mostly CPP supporters because they become rich because of the CPP.
Apology.
I mean "increased export to Vietnam and Thailand."
I agree that rice price increase will affect the poor and poverty reduction policy will fail miserably.
This can be a good time for politicians to distribute rice to the poor prior to the national elections.
Kong Moeung
At this particular time, it is premature and presumptuous make any speculatin with respect to a nearly king-ransom price, at least in part, for those who have difficult times purchasing at this price.
Moreover, we don't yet know as to why the price of rice is still shooting up through the roof; however, it is of paramount importance to ascertain where the increasing trend of the escalating prices' culprit.
Again, we believe the speculation and hearsay have egregiously percolate the public, which , in fact, has drastically affect the life of everyone of us because of the incessant escalation of rice prices. Once again, we have a very high comfidence that the culprit will be found and will be brought to justice.
Good day!
Take responsibility ,find the solution for the problem ,help the Cambodian people and stop the blame game ,pointing finger .....
If you can not DO THAT ,step out and let others a try.....This is DEMOCRACY is all about.
STOP in the speculation on the price of the rice.
The rice is mainly produced in Asia and not in Europe or in the United States.
Dollars is a currency which dépreciates itself in the world.
The main part of the producing countries of rice in Asia are not at war and there are no natural disasters in Asia which make the harvests of rices fall in these countries.
The only possible explanation of the increase of the price of rice is the speculation.
The stock-market speculators try to get back on the rice that they lost in stock exchange iin thailande and in Vietnam.
To stop the speculation, the government can forbid the storage not authorized by rice, control the exports and the imports of rice.
The government can oblige importers, wholesalers and salesmen retailers of rice to justify their cost price, their selling price and their margin on the business of rice.
And the severe penalties will be taken by the government in case of abuse of the speculators.
Indeed, the margin = selling price - cost price.
The margin which has to take into account the inflation has to allow the salesmen, the importers to live, but has to remain the same from one year to the next without important change in terms of percentage.
Any increase of the percentage of the margin without serious jusfification (increase of the cost price, the import) means speculation!
When there is really rise in prices of the rice in the import because the national market does not produce enough rices, the government has to substitute itself for privates importers to import and sell himself even through its national companies the rice to an affordable price to population with the modest wages.
The increase of the cost of living can have a negative effect on the election result in 2008 for the pover in place.
The government must absolutely prevent the private companies to take the check of the strategic market of the rice (importers, exporting, the wholesalers) regarding fixing price of the rice.
True, but it is not all that bad. I mean the economy growth is between 9-10% and the inflation is about 6-7%. Thus, we are still ahead of the game. However, you are right. We must not be careless and allow thing to slide and overshadowing our hard works.
In front of difficulties and economic constraints which are imposed from the outside on the country (inflation, world financial crisis, speculation, dollars fall..), only authorities and state have to take back their leading role in economic policy by restricting the economic freedom of the privates agents to avoid the social confusions which will not miss to exploit the political opposition.
this is a good example of why cambodia should be aware of the outside world for it is to important to think in terms of global competition as the economy of the world is so dependent of one another and cambodia needs to be mindful of that. economics knows no boundary as well as anything things else. this is a good example why understand the engine of things is important.
Yes, Capitalism mean also : With the wild and unbridled capitalism, it is the rich which crush the poor men, and the powerful crush the weak.
The bosses exploit wildly the employees.
That is what I have been said all along also, and the only solution is moral education, and our monks can play an important role here, but only if they are not contaminated with politic.
Capitalism (along with "supply" and "demand") is the mother of all fuckups, because the democracy is always the worse system of (any form) government.
True, at least for Cambodia that is trying to get out of poverty in a timely manner.
However, there is no good system for all. We should just do whatever it take to ensure everyone ultimately got basic care and done with it.
http://tonyhen-humanisthongkong.blogspot.com/
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