Click on the letter in Khmer to zoom in27 Jan 2009
By Ung Chamroeun
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
On Tuesday 27 January, SRP and HRP MPs sent a letter to Hun Sen in which they indicated their wish to see the setup of special bailout budget to soften the downfall of the economic crisis.
The request by opposition MPs was sent to Hun Sen through the Parliament procedure, i.e. in the care of Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly. The letter contains essentially the demands previously made by Sam Rainsy to Hun Sen on 16 January.
The MPs ask the government “to prepare a $500 million bailout budget to counter the downside effects of the economic crisis.” They pointed out the difficulties faced by farmers with the current price drop of some essential agricultural products such as rice, corn, beans, cassava, and rubber. This problem affects millions of Cambodians, the opposition MPs indicated. They would like “to know the mechanism and measures planned by the government to get the country out of this crisis,” and they underscore in their letter that other countries in the region, such as Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand all have prepared “bailout budget package” to improve the daily life of farmers by lending them money with low interest rate.
For Son Chhay, the SRP spokesman, Keat Chhon, the minister of Economy and Finance, must choose a date when he will provides his answers to the MPs’ questions on the NA floor. Son Chhay also invoked Article 96 of the Constitution which stipulates that MPs have the right to question the royal government when an negative impact hits the country, and when the government must find urgent solutions to these issues.
The request by opposition MPs was sent to Hun Sen through the Parliament procedure, i.e. in the care of Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly. The letter contains essentially the demands previously made by Sam Rainsy to Hun Sen on 16 January.
The MPs ask the government “to prepare a $500 million bailout budget to counter the downside effects of the economic crisis.” They pointed out the difficulties faced by farmers with the current price drop of some essential agricultural products such as rice, corn, beans, cassava, and rubber. This problem affects millions of Cambodians, the opposition MPs indicated. They would like “to know the mechanism and measures planned by the government to get the country out of this crisis,” and they underscore in their letter that other countries in the region, such as Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand all have prepared “bailout budget package” to improve the daily life of farmers by lending them money with low interest rate.
For Son Chhay, the SRP spokesman, Keat Chhon, the minister of Economy and Finance, must choose a date when he will provides his answers to the MPs’ questions on the NA floor. Son Chhay also invoked Article 96 of the Constitution which stipulates that MPs have the right to question the royal government when an negative impact hits the country, and when the government must find urgent solutions to these issues.
