June 30, 2009
ABC Radio Australia
One of the Cambodian government's most senior economists has warned the country must turn its emerging oil and gas wealth into community benefits - or risk social uprising.
Companies such as Chevron and BHP Biliton are exploring in Cambodia, and oil alone is estimated to be worth billions of dollars once drilling begins. But critics have warned that Cambodia may succumb to the so-called "oil curse' - where poor countries misuse the sudden wealth from the resources.
Dr Hang Chuon Naron, is the Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia AND Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia AND Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Companies such as Chevron and BHP Biliton are exploring in Cambodia, and oil alone is estimated to be worth billions of dollars once drilling begins. But critics have warned that Cambodia may succumb to the so-called "oil curse' - where poor countries misuse the sudden wealth from the resources.
Dr Hang Chuon Naron, is the Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia AND Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia AND Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
5 comments:
He did not answer two very important questions, and I know why. He doesn't dare to criticize the government.
We all shouldn't get too distracted by Hun Sen's Khmer Rouge Show Trial. We should focus on the Viets who are stealing our land. They are getting closer to completing the boarder markings.
I noted that many of oil sites have been tendered by either chinese govt and particularly to those chinese private companies where there would definately be non transparent contract likely going to occur.
On top of that, it would be the time to pay back the loans which were considered as AIDS to cambodia. threfore out of that billions revenue paid to those loans ,there will not be much left for considerable infrastructure required for those basic needs for cambodians.
hope that poor cambodians could benefit from this revenue.
Kaun Khmer
of course it should benefit all of cambodia, that is not the question. the question is how to do it without compromise its integrity with the human's penchance for corruption, etc! we all know it calls for accountability and transparency, etc...
Here once again we hear the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) running the risk of being used as a useful cover up. We more experienced oil-cursed citizens know that any oil revenue that exceeds for instance 3 percent of GDP makes the government wealthy independently of its own citizens and that is a sure recipe for disaster and for having to live for ever under the thumb of a dumb Petroautocrat.
I invite you all to join the global alliance of oil-cursed citizens. We need to support each other the enemy, the petroautocrats, are formidable.
http://theoilcurse.blogspot.com/
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