Cambodian PM predicts GDP growth of 5 pct this year [-Cambodia's economy according to Hanoi PhD Hun Xen?]

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH, April 27 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen estimated on Tuesday that his country's economy would grow around 5 percent this year and said resilient agricultural output had helped the country avoid recession in 2009.

"Passing through storms and rains in the past year, even though the country faced the global financial crisis, drought and flooding, typhoon Ketsana, we achieved remarkable results in increasing agricultural production," Hun Sen told a forum of government, development bank and private sector representatives.

Hun Sen said Cambodia's economy grew last year due to 5 percent growth in the agricultural sector, but he did not give a figure for gross domestic product.

The Finance Ministry has estimated GDP grew 0.1 percent last year. The World Bank says it shrank 2 percent because of poor garment exports, lower tourism receipts and weak foreign direct investment, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agrees.

Growth estimates for this year from multilateral agencies are a little lower than Hun Sen's but the prime minister was dismissive of "all these big institutions with their economists who get paid salaries of tens of thousands of dollars".

"I advised my officials: 'don't believe these people so much'. I speak frankly," he said.

The International Monetary Fund is forecasting GDP growth of 4.8 percent this year and 6.8 percent next year. The World Bank's estimate for this year is 4.4 percent and the ADB's is 4.5 percent.

IMF Resident Representative John Nelmes said there seemed to be broad agreement on the outlook for Cambodia.

"Even though there may be small differences of a few decimal places, the main economic trend captured by the estimates is essentially the same: Cambodia's economy contracted in 2009, but it is now undergoing a recovery," he wrote in an email.

(Editing by Alan Raybould)