Original report from Washington
06 October 2009
Of Cambodia’s main economic earners, it is not tourism or garments that will help it through the economic crisis, but rather agriculture, a leading Cambodian economist said Monday.
“What we have seen and learned from the world crisis is that the agricultural sector should be focused on as an economic target,” said Kang Chandararoth, head of the Cambodia Institute of Development Study, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
A policy to set up a reserve fund for agriculture is the “pressing issue,” he said. Agriculture was Cambodia’s “gateway to growth.”
Tourism, garment export and construction have all been hard hit by the global economic downturn, with orders for clothing down, number of visitors diminishing and a depressed real estate market.
Kang Chandararoth said that if China’s growth was forecast at 8 percent next year, Cambodia could follow.
“If China can compete with the world and continue with industrialization, then China will bring us more garment work, and we will have benefits from China too, as a subcontractor,” he said.
Cambodia remained behind Vietnam, which “has a real plan and multiple goods to export,” he said. “Not like Cambodia, which does not have so many goods it can export.”
Vietnam’s growth was 4 percent, though Cambodia’s economy could decline 3 percent, he said.
“What we have seen and learned from the world crisis is that the agricultural sector should be focused on as an economic target,” said Kang Chandararoth, head of the Cambodia Institute of Development Study, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
A policy to set up a reserve fund for agriculture is the “pressing issue,” he said. Agriculture was Cambodia’s “gateway to growth.”
Tourism, garment export and construction have all been hard hit by the global economic downturn, with orders for clothing down, number of visitors diminishing and a depressed real estate market.
Kang Chandararoth said that if China’s growth was forecast at 8 percent next year, Cambodia could follow.
“If China can compete with the world and continue with industrialization, then China will bring us more garment work, and we will have benefits from China too, as a subcontractor,” he said.
Cambodia remained behind Vietnam, which “has a real plan and multiple goods to export,” he said. “Not like Cambodia, which does not have so many goods it can export.”
Vietnam’s growth was 4 percent, though Cambodia’s economy could decline 3 percent, he said.
7 comments:
partly true, however, keep in mind that cambodia changed and nothing is set in stone or absolute any more, really. when people became more educated and be open-minded and learn from everyone in the world, of course cambodia will see changes. only outdated thinking and stubbornness and ignorance or arrogance will keep cambodia stagnant and undeveloped, etc. glad that people are thinking differently and prefer a mix of modern and ancient cambodia. who says we can't have it both ways, really!
yes, not only one, though, remember the key is diversify of the economy, really. that is the smart and clever way, really!
Whereas all the countries around the globe have cared for financial crisis, MR Kang said last year on the VOA that the Cambodian economy will be not affected by those crisis because bla bla bla.....
But now, after it hits seriously for his eyes on the sectors (tourism, garment and construction,..) then he turns his mind to agriculture inwhich it will not affect. Yes, I agree with him but could we live only with agriculture? What is the worth of agriculture? , for instance, 1 tone rice costs 1400 USD with production time min. 6 months, but one small car costs min. 10 000 USD with production time time only 3 hours. What is the differences between both value?
Khmer son
Too late for us and with our today knowledge, we will not able to compete with other nations.
Under the Khmer Empire reign, we were the best agriculture country on this planet. We Khmer might concentrate on the agriculture section. The same way we learned from our ancestor. One day we sure able to produce the best organic produces for exportation.
Dr. Roth is a stooge, really. He spouts off unintelligent things the same way Hun Xen does. He has learned, after watching how Hun Xen publicly belittled Sok Hoch of EIC, to never say anything controversial and never ever speak about corruption. He's actually quite not too smart. Don't worry, all the good people in the leadership of the CPP are going to make sure the Vietnamese firms with whom they will joint venture - note todays JV between Green Trade - Minister Cham Prasith's company - joint ventured with a Vietnamese rice miller. Who will make the value added on that deal? Not Cambodians. Ah, what a lovely, caring government Cambodia has. I am sure everyone will vote to elect them again and again and again....
7:30 DURING KHMER EMPIRE ERA evry country depended on agriculture!
Are we back to Pol Pot kind of thinking under the PhDs from Hanoi?
Do ma ah Chaker na doch ah Chaker na!
MR Kang received his PhD from "Free University to Berlin", Germany. The thesis for his PhD is "Dollarization", by source online. But his prediction is always changed by the wind of policy, Could we (intellectual) believe in him? No, he is pragmatist and arrogance.
Khmer Son
Post a Comment