Monday, 19 January 2009 Written by Sam Rith and Sebastian Strangio
The Phnom Penh Post
Rainsy claims thousands of jobs lost in financial crisis.
OPPOSITION leader Sam Rainsy has called on the government to set aside a US$500 million economic stimulus package to offset the local effects of the world financial slump, claiming "tens of thousands" of Cambodian jobs have been lost to the global crisis.
In a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, Sam Rainsy said the government was underestimating the effects of the global upheavals, petitioning the prime minister to organise a $500 million relief package to go towards maintaining agricultural prices, building much-needed infrastructure and making low-interest loans available to the needy.
"I would like to request the government to consider the appropriate measures in order to support economic activity and help Cambodia avoid the worst of the economic crisis," he said in the letter, which was delivered to the premier by National Assembly First Deputy President Nguon Nhel on Saturday.
Sam Rainsy added that the national budget for 2009 contained no means of relieving the economic impacts of the global crisis.
Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said the financial crisis was having serious effects in rural areas of the Kingdom, where falling commodity prices had driven down standards of living.
"Many Cambodian people in the countryside are having problems with reduced food. This is affecting the health of the people," he told the Post.
He added that the garment sector had been hit hard by the global downturn and that many willing workers were being turned away. "Now there is reduced work, and they don't have enough money to live," he said. "I think every country should have the funds for an economic crisis."
But Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the government reserved funds in every annual budget for unforeseen circumstances.
"We have a reserve budget, not only for the global economic crisis but also for other disasters such as floods, and so forth," he said Sunday, but added he could not remember the exact amount set aside in 2009.
"Sam Rainsy should be able to address this. He is a parliamentarian, so he must know about it."
OPPOSITION leader Sam Rainsy has called on the government to set aside a US$500 million economic stimulus package to offset the local effects of the world financial slump, claiming "tens of thousands" of Cambodian jobs have been lost to the global crisis.
In a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, Sam Rainsy said the government was underestimating the effects of the global upheavals, petitioning the prime minister to organise a $500 million relief package to go towards maintaining agricultural prices, building much-needed infrastructure and making low-interest loans available to the needy.
"I would like to request the government to consider the appropriate measures in order to support economic activity and help Cambodia avoid the worst of the economic crisis," he said in the letter, which was delivered to the premier by National Assembly First Deputy President Nguon Nhel on Saturday.
Sam Rainsy added that the national budget for 2009 contained no means of relieving the economic impacts of the global crisis.
Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said the financial crisis was having serious effects in rural areas of the Kingdom, where falling commodity prices had driven down standards of living.
"Many Cambodian people in the countryside are having problems with reduced food. This is affecting the health of the people," he told the Post.
He added that the garment sector had been hit hard by the global downturn and that many willing workers were being turned away. "Now there is reduced work, and they don't have enough money to live," he said. "I think every country should have the funds for an economic crisis."
But Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the government reserved funds in every annual budget for unforeseen circumstances.
"We have a reserve budget, not only for the global economic crisis but also for other disasters such as floods, and so forth," he said Sunday, but added he could not remember the exact amount set aside in 2009.
"Sam Rainsy should be able to address this. He is a parliamentarian, so he must know about it."
15 comments:
that's a good move of opposition party. this is one good will policy and attitude in this time of crisis and prevent crisis ahead when thousands of jobs will be lost b/c of world economic crisis. This bail-out proposed plan shows that you care and concern the people.
It's wise right? and until now if khmers ever heard any gov plans to combat in this time of crisis? or will the gov cite the situation during pol pot regime and thus will do nothing for concerned people?
hell no if they plan to do so. however there is high expectation of gov and thereby reflect the mindset of gripping power for their whole life. That's the biggest mistake leading to more, deepened and complex mistakes, miseries in Cambodia.
Ah Scam Rainxy thinks he's in the US, hahaha, LOL, hahaha,...., I bet he thinks we got trillions usd at our disposal, hahaha, LOL, hahaha, ...
Shut the fuck up, Ah Jkout!
A Right proposal from Sam Raingsy, just in Right Time but not to the Right Government !!! This so-called economy ‘stimulus’ is a ‘paternalist behaviour` from any responsible Government which consist of injecting capital flow to boost economy (in trouble) which in turn generate income (under taxes collection) for the development of the country. In reality, Cambodia is always in crisis (extreme poverty, high corruption, bad governance, lawlessness, façade democracy,…) and always need more investment whatever happened in the external world. The Global Crisis is just another `not necessary burden` to already suffering Cambodian people. I think Raingsy is `politically` skilful to make this kind of `wake-up call at this crucial moment. I`m not always pessimistic for Cambodia but knowing Hun Sen’s capacity limitation, let’s me try to respond to Mr.Rainsgy recommendation (to use his stimulus package of 500 M$) (Please see Comments):
• setting up mechanisms to support agricultural prices on the market since they determine farmers' revenues and living conditions;
Comments: It’s not in Hun Sen’s culture to inject millions of $ to subsidize agriculture price like other westerner’s Government. If you remember, last year, in the middle of food crisis, Hun Sen ordered to stop abruptly exporting rice to neighbouring country creating an uncontrolled and disorder rice surplus and in turn brought the rice price down dramatically.
• building infrastructures that Cambodia lacks most (roads, railways, water-control and irrigation systems, housing for the poor);
Comment: Crisis or Not, this is a ‘Must’ for Cambodia…with or without Stimulus package
• works to protect the environment and to restore the ecological system that has been disrupted nationwide, including replanting trees (reforestation) and dredging lakes and rivers;
Comment: Crisis or Not, this is a continuous effort of the Government to repair their mismanagement in the past and in the present time.
• tax cuts and reduction in fees for the use of public services;
Comment: Tax cut ? Fees reduction ? Which tax cut ? Cambodia is one of the most corrupted country in the world: actually, only 20% of tax collected from the private sector went to the state treasury while other 80% went to Finances Ministry high ranking and their officials. I don’t know how ‘tax cut’ can generate a positive impact on Cambodian economy within this fiscal disorder.
• special social allowances;
Comment: Which allowances ? The best ‘social’ allowance that Hun Sen can offer to the country and their people is to stop land grabbing and providing justice to poor and landless people.
Khmer Canadian
9:04 PM
Easy said than done. If you're so knowledgeable, why don't you go help? Like I said, people like you say it like it's so easy to do, but all you got is rhetoric.
Why do people to use my nickname to publish their comments...?
Everybody comments should give some benefits... Even for people whom is CPP's for life.
Because of their blindness to support CPP, that we make more effort to take them out of the shadow's side.
In Cambodia, the unemployment rate is less than 4%. Considering that an eight chidren can work on the season rice or on the gabbages near Phnom Penh. This is just sick !
For your information, the construction of rural roads (or countryside) is funded by the UNDP.
Do you heard about Kwack Sen contract loans for countryside's road ?
Kwack Sen is responsible for provincial's road. That's why when we heard about the contruction of provincial road, we heard Kwack Sen's loans.
Real...Khmer Canadian
AH kwack and it dogs are a big joker.. most most of the schools , road , and other contruction are help and build by the outside world and AH kwack and it dogs try to take the credit from it , they bark like the frog in the well .. LOL .. One a while AH Qwack build a Unsafe school and have it name on it .. What a fucking loser ..
Hey, stop try to steal credits from PM Hun Sen, Ah Thieve-oversea. They build school, road, water, ..., and power for him because they love him.
A moron Sam otsy like trey gneat jleat porng. Government of Kingdom of Cambodia is well prepare than he think.
this is really smart. thank you for looking out for khmer people and nation. god bless cambodia.
In Cambodia, now, we know quite well that the ones who know don't talk, the ones who talk don't know.
SRP's president economic stimulus proposals show his lack of knowledge in detail of 2009 budget. It's even more serious when he used to being a Minister of Economy and Finance to propose those policies if not political oriented.
His policy proposals were copied from EU's or USA where financial crisis and economic downturn are much more deeper than in Cambodia. Suddently, those policies appear very authoritarian, very regulated, very administered than those embraced by Socialist countries, in contrary to market economy mecanisms that SRP is supposed to embrace.
Neak Angkor
Ah Scam Rainsy is a joke!
ah xen is a joke, all things, including ah pleur 3.41 am
My beloved Neak Angkor!
I am unquestionally agreeing with your scholarly logic acknowledgement about SRP's policy proposals of economic stimulus. As you are confidently and firmly saying,"In Cambodia, now, we know quite well that the ones who know don't talk, the ones who talk don't know". Who got more doctoral degrees? Sam Raisy or Samdech Hun SenVarman? Yes, indeed, Samdech Hun SenVarman!
I like to See Mr. PHD Hun Sen do something for Cambodia for a change. SRP have put through a rational proposal as it an opposition and not in power.
Now CPP government of Cambodia can afford this if they channel the yearly donated money to building the country infrastructure and creating local jobs for the jobless. This is separate and should but is additional to the NGO and other countries managed/existing projects (the CPP should stop taking other people projects as their own).
The $500Millions can be easily raise but stopped channeling the money to private currupt officials who has been pocketing this since the 1991 Paris agreement. Hun Sen should put in the 2009 & 2010 budget put into public purse for the country future. Ideally the Cambodian can raise instance capital more than $500M if the eliminate corruption today, there they will have money to spend if there no hole in the pockets....
We (CPP) are way ahead of Ah cyclo driver team (SRP). There is no need for them to put a show just for political gain.
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