Hun Sen has pressured petroleum companies to lower prices as a way of reducing economic pressure on the poor. Cambodia’s pump prices are higher than in both Thailand and Vietnam. (Photo: Tracey Shelton)PM urges local petroleum firms to stop price gouging
Friday, 03 October 2008
Written by Kay Kimsong
The Phnom Penh Post
Hun Sen has attacked local petroleum companies, saying they are using the global financial crisis as an excuse to rip off consumers
THE prime minister has lashed out at the Kingdom's petroleum companies, accusing them of price gouging and strongly urging they lower the price of petrol at the pump immediately.
"Push [the prices] down [because] when fuel prices increase, it affects everything," Hun Sen said during a scholarship award ceremony for 500 students in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
The prime minister warned companies that global financial turmoil was no excuse to raise prices.
"It is an American financial crisis and some American banks face problems, but it shouldn't be pumping up the price of fuel here," he said. He added that they cannot blame international market turmoil.
After a period of hikes, local fuel prices have stabilised at around 5,000 riel a litre, but have not decreased even as international crude prices dropped to around US$100 per barrel from a record high in mid-July of around $145 a barrel for crude.
Order, don't ask
Union leader Rong Chhun said he welcomed Hun Sen's efforts to push down petrol prices but said the prime minister needed to go further.
"He is the prime minister, he should not just make the same request [to lower petrol prices] again and again, he must use his power to order the petroleum companies to lower prices," he said.
Rong Chhun urged the prime mnister to use price caps to reduce the price of petrol. Companies should be allowed to make a reasonable profit but not to price gouge, he said, adding that skyrocketing fuel prices have dealt a major blow to already cash-strapped civil servants.
Rong Chhun said the price of fuel in Cambodia should be a maximum of 3,800 riel or 4,000 per liter and warned that gas prices were one of the key issues voters would use to assess the performance of the new government.
"I think all voters are watching [Hun Sen] who is leading a country alone, for good or bad, we will see," Rong Chhun said.
He also warned that the some 400-plus members of the Council of Ministers should be forced to reduce the percentage of the national budget spent on subsidised fuel for government officials.
"If the government can reduce how much it spends subsidising petrol for officials, the country will have enough money to increase salaries of teachers," Rong Chhun said.
Pump prices in Phnom Penh on Thursday stood at 4,900 riel per litre (Sokimex) and 5,050 per litre (Caltex and Total).
Seng Chung Ly, network manager for Total, declined comment on whether the company would be reducing prices in accordance with the prime minister's request. An official at Sokimex was too busy to comment on Thursday.
THE prime minister has lashed out at the Kingdom's petroleum companies, accusing them of price gouging and strongly urging they lower the price of petrol at the pump immediately.
"Push [the prices] down [because] when fuel prices increase, it affects everything," Hun Sen said during a scholarship award ceremony for 500 students in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
The prime minister warned companies that global financial turmoil was no excuse to raise prices.
"It is an American financial crisis and some American banks face problems, but it shouldn't be pumping up the price of fuel here," he said. He added that they cannot blame international market turmoil.
After a period of hikes, local fuel prices have stabilised at around 5,000 riel a litre, but have not decreased even as international crude prices dropped to around US$100 per barrel from a record high in mid-July of around $145 a barrel for crude.
Order, don't ask
Union leader Rong Chhun said he welcomed Hun Sen's efforts to push down petrol prices but said the prime minister needed to go further.
"He is the prime minister, he should not just make the same request [to lower petrol prices] again and again, he must use his power to order the petroleum companies to lower prices," he said.
Rong Chhun urged the prime mnister to use price caps to reduce the price of petrol. Companies should be allowed to make a reasonable profit but not to price gouge, he said, adding that skyrocketing fuel prices have dealt a major blow to already cash-strapped civil servants.
Rong Chhun said the price of fuel in Cambodia should be a maximum of 3,800 riel or 4,000 per liter and warned that gas prices were one of the key issues voters would use to assess the performance of the new government.
"I think all voters are watching [Hun Sen] who is leading a country alone, for good or bad, we will see," Rong Chhun said.
He also warned that the some 400-plus members of the Council of Ministers should be forced to reduce the percentage of the national budget spent on subsidised fuel for government officials.
"If the government can reduce how much it spends subsidising petrol for officials, the country will have enough money to increase salaries of teachers," Rong Chhun said.
Pump prices in Phnom Penh on Thursday stood at 4,900 riel per litre (Sokimex) and 5,050 per litre (Caltex and Total).
Seng Chung Ly, network manager for Total, declined comment on whether the company would be reducing prices in accordance with the prime minister's request. An official at Sokimex was too busy to comment on Thursday.
9 comments:
Hun Sen is an Asshole
Thanks for ah headless Prime minister
being have a good preach to the small companies but not his cronies and it families,what a shameless uneducated prime minister,go to school learn the moral and the manner before preaching .
Headless PM
Borisotkhmer ca
Even as an asshole, he's still 100 times better than Ah Pleu-Oversea who try to deceive Khmer people about their education, but doesn't know how to fill out a simple job application.
To 12:41 AM
Dear ah smart 12:41 Am really sorry to you man ,that your mother got rape by over sea ppl. but the real fact is the oversea try to get your sisters but your mom pretending to be one of your sisters ,why you so piss with oversea ppl. I'm not blame on you ,that common human reaction but on that day when the News get in your mother has said that adult consensus no one rape the others she pleased to do that .
Cool down man if you mad with oversea ppl .you should talk with ya mama first ,don't play the blame game ?
i think it is good for everyone to put pressure on gov't, especially when they see inappropriate. after all, gov't is to serve the nation and its people's interest in the name of righteousness and rule of law. god bless cambodia.
Hun Sen sounds like Sam Rainsy.
If you hate a person, you'll never accept whatever he has done or plans to do. If you really think about Cambodia and her people, you should accept the truth or learn to accept. Although Hun Sen has done many things, but not all of them were bad. Peace and development can only be prevailed if we accept the truth.
If ah jkout Hun Sen Smart he has to move to US or British not to stick with ah youn which is ah Sen pay with Srok Khmer .
If ah Sen not Jkuot ah Sen has to learn from ah Goat face HOchiminh.
It promised Sihaknuk when Ah Ho Win The USA ah Ho return Kampucheakrom back
Ah Peuh Sihaknuk lost because ah Goat face committed suicide and the contract was worthless.So is ah Hun Smart he cave all his asset5billion dollar but is he wait til he lost his job Ah Hun butt gonna be on the stick.
Move to the US and UK? Don't you know they are losers? And that is what Lon Nol did and look at what happened to Cambodia, Ah Pleu-Oversea!
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