By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 June 2008
With increasing cost pressures hitting Cambodians as they move toward a general election, the monthly wages of government workers has become a political issue.
Competing parties have added it to their platforms, promising as much as $100 per month increases after the election, while the ruling Cambodian People's Party has made promises of its own.
Speaking at a road inauguration Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen acknowledged that government staff was getting small wages.
"I do not deny that government staff has a salary problem," Hun Sen said. "But we have to follow step by step to raise their wages, around 20 percent per year."
The average government worker earns $30 per month.
"We must construct the roads, bridges and schools," he said. "If not, we would be able to give further wages for government staff."
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Hun Sen's statement showed irresponsibility, as the wage raise was not in correspondence with inflation. If the salary cannot be raised up at least 100 percent, the living standards of government staff will fall, he said.
The Sam Rainsy Party, if elected, would boost the salary to 500,000 riel per month, about $125 per month, he said.
The Cambodian Independent Teachers Association has several times threatened to demonstrate over low wages, and the garment sector was forced to increase the wages of factory workers by $6, following strike threats.
Government staff must get at least 400,000 riel per month, about $100, said Rong Chhun, president of the teacher's association. The government has the means to make such a raise, he said, "if they want."
Competing parties have added it to their platforms, promising as much as $100 per month increases after the election, while the ruling Cambodian People's Party has made promises of its own.
Speaking at a road inauguration Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen acknowledged that government staff was getting small wages.
"I do not deny that government staff has a salary problem," Hun Sen said. "But we have to follow step by step to raise their wages, around 20 percent per year."
The average government worker earns $30 per month.
"We must construct the roads, bridges and schools," he said. "If not, we would be able to give further wages for government staff."
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Hun Sen's statement showed irresponsibility, as the wage raise was not in correspondence with inflation. If the salary cannot be raised up at least 100 percent, the living standards of government staff will fall, he said.
The Sam Rainsy Party, if elected, would boost the salary to 500,000 riel per month, about $125 per month, he said.
The Cambodian Independent Teachers Association has several times threatened to demonstrate over low wages, and the garment sector was forced to increase the wages of factory workers by $6, following strike threats.
Government staff must get at least 400,000 riel per month, about $100, said Rong Chhun, president of the teacher's association. The government has the means to make such a raise, he said, "if they want."
9 comments:
It's so sad indeed that a lot of well-educated receive $100-$200 per month while some monkeys like Hun Xen, Hun Neng, Heng Samrin, Chea Sim, Tea Banh, etc., receive thousands of dollars each month.
2:55am THEY NEVER RECEIVE THOUSANDS OF $/MONTH, THEY STOLE THEM! AND PAY ALOT TO HANOI TOO!
Yeah, and Ah Spam Rainxy knows all the tricks and back doors to the moneys.
In favor of pay increase for public servants, however, the Parlimentarians, Senates and Ministerial Ministers' pay shall be freezed at least for the time being.
Political party[ies] who promise for the pay increase shall carefully calculate and think hard of the budget to meet the promised pay increase.
The current annual national budget is derived from 2/3 of its national coffer and the remained topping up is provided by the donnor countries. Let say the current budget was 1.2 billion dollars and to be able for patry[ies] who promise to double the salary might need between 2.4 to 3 billion dollars in order to meet the budget.
To enebale them to do is is to
1] collect all possible and imposed taxes and levies from all sources and revenues.
2] cut government spendings.
3] a possibility of tax increase through income tax [the more money you earned will eventually and automatically fall in slightly higher of income tax, unless the new mandeated government is going to amend on income tax law which would be definitely sure that workers will not be paying tax more than their pay increase.]
No, we can't increase tax at the moment. Right now, there are numerous complaints about the high price of doing businesses in Cambodia.
At any rate, our GDP for 2007 is only about 8.3 billions, and our average taxes is less than 10%. Therefore, our revenue can't be more than 800 millions. Everything has been exaggerated by Ah Spam Rainxy to make Cambodia looks corrupted in an attempt to steal Cambodia from Khmer people.
Vote #4 to end all evils in Cambodia.
Nope, you fucking Viet/Yuon-born parasite @4:30 AM & 5:32 AM that pretend to be Khmer thinking that Yuon/Viet and ah funcking dog HUN SEN are Khmer master and Khmer is Viet/Yuon slave must be castrated and have your dick fed to the Viet cancerous black dog!
Viet/Yuon go home!
You viet must learn by heart the universal language by now:
"The world sees and knows you Viet true color already"!
good, teachers' salary should be at least $100.00 per month; same with most other gov't workers. god bless cambodia.
Not for corrupted teachers who extorted money from poor students.
Nonsense, no one wants Cambodia to become Zimbabwe.
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