Tuk-Tuk Ad Ban Puzdes Lawmakers, Businessmen
By James Welsh and Prak Chan Thul
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Confusion reigned Tuesday over City Hall’s ban on tuk-tuk drivers displaying commercial advertising, while one SRP lawmaker said the new legislation harked back to the communist 1980s.
It emerged Monday that Phnom Penh municipality has banned all commercial advertising on the city's three-wheeled "tuk-tuk" taxis in order to preserve "public order" and the beauty of the capital. Tuk-tuks can only carry adverts about bird flu, AIDS and domestic violence.
"This is a communist style of economy," SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann said, warning that such policies will create uncertainty and scare away investors.
"If you go against the free market economy principle it affects the investment from inside and outside Cambodia," he said.
Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, who issued a directive announcing the new rules in November, declined to speak to a reporter Tuesday.
Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun said the decision was taken to give the municipality more control over what tuk-tuk drivers choose to advertise.
"Sometimes we don't know with whom they [advertise]," he said, though he did not explain why this was a problem.
"With NGOs it is no problem as we believe it benefits society," he said.
Mann Chhoeun declined to comment on whether the ban would affect the local economy, before referring further questions to Deputy Governor Map Sarin, who said he was too busy to speak to a reporter.
One business expert said on condition of anonymity that the effect of the order on the overall investment climate would be minimal, though he added that it could set an unwelcome precedent.
"Once you start down this road, where do you stop?" he asked.
Tim Smyth, managing director of Indochina Research, said that the reasons behind the ban were unclear.
Smyth said he doubted the order would ward off investors as the government has already done a lot to make the country more investor friendly over the last two years.
But he added that given the high cost of gasoline, any extra income for tuk-tuk drivers would probably be very welcome.
"Tuk-tuks use [the adverts] to supplement their income when gas prices have gone up 30 to 40 percent," he said.
It emerged Monday that Phnom Penh municipality has banned all commercial advertising on the city's three-wheeled "tuk-tuk" taxis in order to preserve "public order" and the beauty of the capital. Tuk-tuks can only carry adverts about bird flu, AIDS and domestic violence.
"This is a communist style of economy," SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann said, warning that such policies will create uncertainty and scare away investors.
"If you go against the free market economy principle it affects the investment from inside and outside Cambodia," he said.
Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, who issued a directive announcing the new rules in November, declined to speak to a reporter Tuesday.
Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun said the decision was taken to give the municipality more control over what tuk-tuk drivers choose to advertise.
"Sometimes we don't know with whom they [advertise]," he said, though he did not explain why this was a problem.
"With NGOs it is no problem as we believe it benefits society," he said.
Mann Chhoeun declined to comment on whether the ban would affect the local economy, before referring further questions to Deputy Governor Map Sarin, who said he was too busy to speak to a reporter.
One business expert said on condition of anonymity that the effect of the order on the overall investment climate would be minimal, though he added that it could set an unwelcome precedent.
"Once you start down this road, where do you stop?" he asked.
Tim Smyth, managing director of Indochina Research, said that the reasons behind the ban were unclear.
Smyth said he doubted the order would ward off investors as the government has already done a lot to make the country more investor friendly over the last two years.
But he added that given the high cost of gasoline, any extra income for tuk-tuk drivers would probably be very welcome.
"Tuk-tuks use [the adverts] to supplement their income when gas prices have gone up 30 to 40 percent," he said.
