Cambodian PM vows to narrow wealth gap
The expanding gap of living standard between the rural and the urban people could cause instability and this situation must be dealt with immediately, said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday.
"The government expresses the concern for inequity development of the country and it will make the country unstable," he said while launching the World Bank's report called "Sharing Growth: Equity and Development in Cambodia."
The kingdom has enjoyed political and macro economic stability for years and doesn't want instability because it knew the taste in the past years of turmoil, he said.
"Some 80 percent of the Cambodian people live in rural areas, almost unable to join the labor force while the economic growth rate reached nine percent in average since 1999 due to the development of tourism, garment and construction," he said.
Only land and agricultural sectors can help develop the rural areas with sustainability and reduce poverty, so the government will invest more in micro-finance to develop the public sectors to renovate the rural infrastructure and reduce poverty in rural areas, he said.
"Development of rural economy is the key for poverty reduction and the government has tried to prepare the plans for developing rural economy through providing jobs in small and medium enterprise and building relation between city and remote areas," he added.
According to the World Bank, in 2004, only 20 percent of the workers in Cambodia were in paid jobs while the rest were self- employed, and only half of the labor force were in formal economy.
Currently, some 35 percent of the 14 million Cambodian people live below the poverty line.
Source: Xinhua
"The government expresses the concern for inequity development of the country and it will make the country unstable," he said while launching the World Bank's report called "Sharing Growth: Equity and Development in Cambodia."
The kingdom has enjoyed political and macro economic stability for years and doesn't want instability because it knew the taste in the past years of turmoil, he said.
"Some 80 percent of the Cambodian people live in rural areas, almost unable to join the labor force while the economic growth rate reached nine percent in average since 1999 due to the development of tourism, garment and construction," he said.
Only land and agricultural sectors can help develop the rural areas with sustainability and reduce poverty, so the government will invest more in micro-finance to develop the public sectors to renovate the rural infrastructure and reduce poverty in rural areas, he said.
"Development of rural economy is the key for poverty reduction and the government has tried to prepare the plans for developing rural economy through providing jobs in small and medium enterprise and building relation between city and remote areas," he added.
According to the World Bank, in 2004, only 20 percent of the workers in Cambodia were in paid jobs while the rest were self- employed, and only half of the labor force were in formal economy.
Currently, some 35 percent of the 14 million Cambodian people live below the poverty line.
Source: Xinhua
