Phnom Penh
04 December 2008
The Cambodian government opened a two-day donor meeting Thursday, lobbying for additional aid to the national budget for the development of the country.
Opening the annual Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum, Prime Minister Hun Sen assured the 17 donor countries and agencies, which yearly contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to state coffers, of Cambodia’s continued commitment to good governance and the tackling of corruption, a key point for many donors.
Addressing a much-anticipated anti-corruption law, which has remained in draft stage for more than a decade, Hun Sen said the government was “well aware” that the law “is an indispensable legal instrument to fight corruption effectively.”
Hun Sen assured donors the government was “strongly committed to ensure rapid conclusion and adoption of this law in close consultation with all concerned parties.” Meanwhile, he said, Cambodia’s were expected to average a per capita income of $625 per year, an increase of nearly 10 percent per year since 1999.
The government was also continuing work on decentralization, he said.
The Cambodian government has been criticized for the centralization of power around Hun Sen and key members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Hun Sen pointed out that this year’s donor meeting was being held amid a global financial crisis, but he said the country’s banking sector remained “sound” and “not seriously affected by the global financial cataclysm.”
He called land reform “the most sensitive area” for the government, “due to outstanding issues in the past.”
In recent years, Cambodia’s rural population has been widely upset through illegal land sales, land-grabs and other schemes, often undertaken by powerful officials in collaboration with private businesses. The government was responding with a number of measures, Hun Sen said, adding “the systematic land registration has been greatly welcomed by the rural people.”
Finance Minister Keat Chhon declined to estimate the amount of aid Cambodia could receive this year, but Reuters news service reported that figure could be as much as $900 million. By comparison, the government was pledged $690 million last year.
Meanwhile, the international community pushed the government to pass the anti-corruption law, calling it necessary for investment and development and a buffer against the global financial downturn.
“Passing the law will be an important signal, providing investors and development partners with the confidence to make more long-term commitments in Cambodia,” said Qimiao Fan, the World Bank’s country manager. “Strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of public finances and natural resources will help secure the scale and type of investments required to sustain growth through the downturn and beyond.”
Opening the annual Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum, Prime Minister Hun Sen assured the 17 donor countries and agencies, which yearly contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to state coffers, of Cambodia’s continued commitment to good governance and the tackling of corruption, a key point for many donors.
Addressing a much-anticipated anti-corruption law, which has remained in draft stage for more than a decade, Hun Sen said the government was “well aware” that the law “is an indispensable legal instrument to fight corruption effectively.”
Hun Sen assured donors the government was “strongly committed to ensure rapid conclusion and adoption of this law in close consultation with all concerned parties.” Meanwhile, he said, Cambodia’s were expected to average a per capita income of $625 per year, an increase of nearly 10 percent per year since 1999.
The government was also continuing work on decentralization, he said.
The Cambodian government has been criticized for the centralization of power around Hun Sen and key members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Hun Sen pointed out that this year’s donor meeting was being held amid a global financial crisis, but he said the country’s banking sector remained “sound” and “not seriously affected by the global financial cataclysm.”
He called land reform “the most sensitive area” for the government, “due to outstanding issues in the past.”
In recent years, Cambodia’s rural population has been widely upset through illegal land sales, land-grabs and other schemes, often undertaken by powerful officials in collaboration with private businesses. The government was responding with a number of measures, Hun Sen said, adding “the systematic land registration has been greatly welcomed by the rural people.”
Finance Minister Keat Chhon declined to estimate the amount of aid Cambodia could receive this year, but Reuters news service reported that figure could be as much as $900 million. By comparison, the government was pledged $690 million last year.
Meanwhile, the international community pushed the government to pass the anti-corruption law, calling it necessary for investment and development and a buffer against the global financial downturn.
“Passing the law will be an important signal, providing investors and development partners with the confidence to make more long-term commitments in Cambodia,” said Qimiao Fan, the World Bank’s country manager. “Strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of public finances and natural resources will help secure the scale and type of investments required to sustain growth through the downturn and beyond.”
8 comments:
will hun sen pass this anti-corruption law ?
i hope he will, just hope.
It’s long overdue and it’s about time for Mr. Kwack to act, not just promising donor countries to lure more money. Donors should find mechanism that works to get Mr. Kwack to prove his successful battle against corruption in his administration. So far he just only voices but no evidence has been established.
For my view, without conditions or pressure from donor countries, this anti-corruption law will never and never pass.
The author of Norna Chea Kheatakors Reas Khmers ?
In cambodia,
1.Fake khmer rouge trial !
2.CPP regime is hanoi run, hanoi backed government !
3. Heng pov is gone in jail
4. Hok fuk lundy, gone forever !
5. Khmer people waiting for Hun " dump forrest gum " sen time of judgement day.
The fact that PM Hun Sen is able to get $900 million dollars from the foreign donors is a major accomplishment. Foreigners don’t just throw the money away, especially when they are facing World financial crisis. They realize that Cambodia and its people largely benefit from the their finacial aids. The money doesn’t just disappear in the black hole as many of the people here claim. (Of course not all the money goes to the people. There are always shameless crooks who relentlessly steal from the nation, no matter what. These thieves were around long before PM Hun Sen was born, and will be around long after Hun Sen is gone.)
Donor counties,
If you so Pleu, why you bother to come and meet with these thieves. Just send them the money. This way they have more of your money, because they don't need to accommodate hotel for you and they don't need to arrange the reception you. If you don't come with a drastic measure for them, how the hell you think they are willing to build a jail (Anti-Corruption Law)to put themselves in. Over ten years, I hear you beat same drum over and over and I am tired of hearing this Bull..sh by now Plue..Westerners. Unless, you just want to wast your government money to come here for the sightseeing, in that case yes we have a lots of places for you to see. Otherwise take my advice.
Everyone trusts PM Hun Sen because he never lies.
Well 6.44AM that is from one angle that you are looking into the issue.
There are many other angles:
1 - the pledge was higher despite the global financial downturn could perharps donors do not want poor Cambodians to die of starvation because the global financial downturn will lead the poor governance with messy corruption to EVEN WORSE.
2 - I've remembered PM said in one of his many speeches in the past "I will continue deforestation if less aid is pledged". Is such commitment a good one for Cambodians in a long term?
Many others as such........
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