Chhay Than, CPP minister of Planning03 Feb 2009
KI-Media
The Cambodia Daily reported in today’s edition that Chhay Than, the minister of Planning, admitted that he intentional withheld inflation data from last year, because his ministry “did not want high prices to have an effect on the July 2008 national election.”
In fact, the actual inflation rate from January 2007 to 2008 was 183%, therefore CPI reports were suppressed in the following six months, especially when the inflation was at its peak during the election period. “We just wanted to keep the good feeling [of citizens] before the election and avoid the wrongful interpretation of politicians … We wanted a positive number for the people,” CPP minister Chhay Than was quoted by The Cambodia Daily as saying. “This is not the government’s intention to hide inflation,” the minister added. The World Bank indicated that inflation hit a record high of 25.7% in May 2008, slightly prior to the election.
According to local media, Khieu Kanharith, the CPP minister of Information, also admitted that the government suspended the publication of inflation data so that it would not reflect poorly on the ruling CPP government. Arjun Goswami, ADB country representative, criticized the lack of transparency in the presentation of statistics by the government. Sam Rainsy blasted the government’s decision to withhold inflation data as being “irresponsible” and a poor adherence to democratic principles.
In fact, the actual inflation rate from January 2007 to 2008 was 183%, therefore CPI reports were suppressed in the following six months, especially when the inflation was at its peak during the election period. “We just wanted to keep the good feeling [of citizens] before the election and avoid the wrongful interpretation of politicians … We wanted a positive number for the people,” CPP minister Chhay Than was quoted by The Cambodia Daily as saying. “This is not the government’s intention to hide inflation,” the minister added. The World Bank indicated that inflation hit a record high of 25.7% in May 2008, slightly prior to the election.
According to local media, Khieu Kanharith, the CPP minister of Information, also admitted that the government suspended the publication of inflation data so that it would not reflect poorly on the ruling CPP government. Arjun Goswami, ADB country representative, criticized the lack of transparency in the presentation of statistics by the government. Sam Rainsy blasted the government’s decision to withhold inflation data as being “irresponsible” and a poor adherence to democratic principles.
