Where pro-Chea Sim Vice President of the CNPA, Ho Vichett, is given more political duties, such as the drafting of legislation, pro-Hun Sen Director General of the CNPA, Te Duong Tara (pictured), is in charge of the contracts and the more commercial side of the businessExcerpt from "Country for Sale"
Global Witness
The CNPA fails to pay its workers a living wage
Common to the vast majority of civil service jobs in Cambodia, the effectiveness of the [Cambodian National Petroleum Authority] CNPA is undermined by the low salary level for employees. Most CNPA employees do not earn a salary sufficient to cover their families’ costs of living. The typical salary for a CNPA employee is US$45 each month: only 20-25 per cent of what is needed to cover the costs of living.
For many trained staff within the CNPA, a combination of the politicisation of work responsibilities and these low level salaries mean that they hold second jobs. One observer claimed that some staff only show up in the office on pay day. The Bridge Group’s independent Training Needs Assessment again offers a more diplomatic explanation:
“On a typical day, some 30 employees come in the morning and only some 10-12 return after lunch… Many employed have received further training… However, they have not had the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in their daily work, and it has not been developed but instead been continuously eroded. The training has therefore to a large extent been wasted, and this is the source of much frustration among the employees.”
The lack of adequate funding of salaries for CNPA employees appears out of step with the funding for staff development which, according to the CNPA’s model petroleum agreement, is due to the CNPA each year. This contract states that each oil signatory is required to pay US$150,000 each year for staff training and development. Given this, the CNPA should currently be the direct recipient of at least US$900,000 each year for staff training and development.
It is doubtful whether money paid by investing companies for staff training could be used for salary payments. However, when compared, the disparity between staff salaries and income to the CNPA does raise questions as to the wisdom or rationale of keeping staff wages so low, or what any payments are being used for.
Global Witness wrote to the Director General of the CNPA, Te Duong Tara, to ask what the staff training and development fund is used for. At the time of publication, Global Witness had not received a response.
Common to the vast majority of civil service jobs in Cambodia, the effectiveness of the [Cambodian National Petroleum Authority] CNPA is undermined by the low salary level for employees. Most CNPA employees do not earn a salary sufficient to cover their families’ costs of living. The typical salary for a CNPA employee is US$45 each month: only 20-25 per cent of what is needed to cover the costs of living.
For many trained staff within the CNPA, a combination of the politicisation of work responsibilities and these low level salaries mean that they hold second jobs. One observer claimed that some staff only show up in the office on pay day. The Bridge Group’s independent Training Needs Assessment again offers a more diplomatic explanation:
“On a typical day, some 30 employees come in the morning and only some 10-12 return after lunch… Many employed have received further training… However, they have not had the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in their daily work, and it has not been developed but instead been continuously eroded. The training has therefore to a large extent been wasted, and this is the source of much frustration among the employees.”
The lack of adequate funding of salaries for CNPA employees appears out of step with the funding for staff development which, according to the CNPA’s model petroleum agreement, is due to the CNPA each year. This contract states that each oil signatory is required to pay US$150,000 each year for staff training and development. Given this, the CNPA should currently be the direct recipient of at least US$900,000 each year for staff training and development.
It is doubtful whether money paid by investing companies for staff training could be used for salary payments. However, when compared, the disparity between staff salaries and income to the CNPA does raise questions as to the wisdom or rationale of keeping staff wages so low, or what any payments are being used for.
Global Witness wrote to the Director General of the CNPA, Te Duong Tara, to ask what the staff training and development fund is used for. At the time of publication, Global Witness had not received a response.
2 comments:
that’s nothing new in Cambodia. if you ever look at sacrava cartoon you see sok an own too many hands controlling over key national sectors. especially when those national sectors can produce grand revenues. here is the mentality of khmer leaders to maintain their inflence and meanwhile sabotage those key national sectors.
it is noteworthy that only few prominent figures really operate in each ministry meaning that hundreds of specialists are left in frustration and without work to do. either those employees in each sector sideline and are seen close to those prominent figures are offered jobs and seem to prosper than the others. and here is another root cause of corruption in cambodia. and here why we say those khmer leaders are the mother of corruption and main source that sabotage the country.
isn’t it obvious?
I Know that guy Te Duong Tara, hes what we call a "Pirobo" in America, a pig that don't play straight. A guy that doesn't walk his word, no wonder hes so rich.
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