US congratulated Cambodia for increasing transparency with the private sector ... the US may need stronger prescription glasses quick

Cambodia's Increased Transparency

19 August 2008
Voice of America Editorial

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Trade Representative Dr. Christina Sevilla visited Phnom Penh, August 13th, and took part in a forum with Cambodia's Senior Minister of Commerce, H.E. Cham Prasidh. Dr. Sevilla congratulated the Cambodian government on the impressive strides it has made in increasing transparency and dialogue with the private sector. She signaled the United States commitment to deepening and expanding the trade relationship between the two countries.

Dr. Sevilla also noted that Cambodia needed to implement its World Trade Organization commitments and strengthen its intellectual property rights regime in order to improve the business climate.

The forum provided a platform for the participants to share U.S. and Cambodian experiences in consultative mechanisms for trade development in order to further the economic ties between the two countries. Promoting trade through improved policies and procedures is one goal of a private-public sector dialogue. Trade between the U.S. and Cambodia rose to two-billion-six-hundred-million dollars in 2008.

Increased transparency is good news for Cambodia's private sector. For the economy to grow, the actions of government officials must be open to public scrutiny. Laws must be enforced fairly and impartially. Corruption and illegal business practices must be exposed and the rule of law applied to violators. Journalists have a responsibility to expose corruption and illegal practices in government and the private sector. They should report the news fairly, objectively, and without surrendering to bribery or political influence. Government has a responsibility to protect the press, non-governmental organizations, and private citizens who expose corruption and illegal practices.

Promoting transparency is one of a number of goals of U.S. trade policy. American policy works toward opening markets throughout the world to create new opportunities and higher living standards for families, farmers, manufacturers, workers, consumers, and businesses.

US trade representative lauds Cambodian reforms

Thursday, 14 August 2008
Sam Campbell
The Mekong Times

With many hoping Cambodia’s mushrooming private sector will become the driving force of development, the relationship between the private sector and the government has become pivotal.

Deputy US Trade Representative Christina Sevilla and Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasith yesterday discussed mechanisms for the private-public sector dialogue necessary for trade development during a forum held at Phnom Penh’s Hotel Le Royal.

Both speakers lauded the progress made and conceded that further reform is needed.

Sevilla, head of office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison at the office of the US Trade Representative Office, told reporters she was here primarily to discuss the US model for stakeholder consultations but her visit was also to “build up on the US-Cambodia relationship, [and] find ways to strengthen and deepen our bilateral relationship through the trade and investment framework.”

Her appraisal of Cambodian reform was generally favorable, and she encouraged further progress.

“We commend the Cambodian government for the impressive strides it has taken to increase transparency and dialogue with the private sector,” Sevilla said.

Trade between the US and Cambodia, which rose to US$2.6 billion last year and is expected to top US$3 billion in 2008, is a US priority, she stressed.

“We have a very robust trade relationship, building on the Bilateral Trade Agreement as well as the US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement,” she said, listing garments, shoes, wood and fish products as major Cambodian exports to the US.

The US places “a great deal of importance on strengthening and deepening our bilateral relationship,” she added, revealing that last November’s visit from US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, the first visit by a US Trade Representative to the Kingdom, is to be followed by a visit from Ambassador John Veroneau, a deputy US trade representative.

But “implementing WTO commitments, strengthening the IPR [Intellectual Property Rights] regime and improving the business climate” remain priority concerns.

The US remains committed to helping Cambodia to improve the business and investment climate, she said.

“We in the US also dialogue very closely between the government and the private sector … we value transparency and the ability of the public and the private sector to provide comment on trade policy,” Sevilla concluded, expressing hopes that the US and Cambodia could “learn from each other’s experiences.”

The Cambodian government has prioritized trade reforms since 1999, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said, encouraging transparency and building confidence through legislative reform, increasing export capacity and fostering better human resources. He called these the “three pillars” of the government’s strategy.

Cham Prasidh claimed governmental reforms had already saved the private sector an estimated US$69.2 million, and the government would continue to “guide the private sector for best interests.”

He conceded that “the system is not perfect,” and that “there is still work to be done,” vowing that the government would continue improvements until all private sector concerns had been allayed.

US Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli said that “there are certainly problems” in Cambodia’s labor sector but the Kingdom is “doing much better than its neighbors.”

“Part of the problem in the labor field is that in some ways there’s too much freedom – too many labor unions, not enough consolidation, not enough communication with garment factories themselves,” he said. “But, by-an-large, the Cambodian workforce is doing very well in garment factories. There’s room for improvement, but while we’re concerned, we still think there’s progress being made.”

US Trade Mission Urges Transparency

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 August 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

Members of US trade mission arrived in Cambodia Wednesday, for talks on private sector dialogue and trade development with key government figures.

The delegation, led by Deputy US Trade Representative Christina Sevilla, held a forum late Wednesday to educate officials in US trade policymaking.

Trade between the two was $2.7 billion in 2007, with $3 billion expected in 2008, and the US is the chief buyer of Cambodia's manufactured garments.

The US mission recommended the government to increase transparency and dialogue with the private sector, as well as look for ways to build on each other's experience, Sevilla told reporters Wednesday.

Cambodia was doing "much better" with rights, wages and conditions in the labor field, compared to other neighboring countries, US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said.

Cambodia had many unions that did not always communicate well with factory management, he said.

Senior US official in Cambodia to discuss bilateral trade

Aug 12, 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - A US delegation headed by World Trade Organization (WTO) expert Christina Sevilla is in Cambodia for bilateral trade talks, the US embassy said Tuesday.

The US embassy statement said US-Cambodian trade was valued at 2.6 billion dollars last year, and that figure was expected to reach 3 billion dollars this year.

Sevilla is director for inter-governmental affairs and public liaison at the Office of the US Trade Representative, which falls under the executive office of the US president, and is also responsible for WTO issues.

Sevilla was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh Wednesday. The embassy statement did not say when her official visit was scheduled to end but said that it was aimed at furthering economic ties between the two nations.

Cambodia took its place in the WTO in 2004.