Khla Krohoeum Area in Kompong Chhnang – A Visit from 32 Years Ago
Anyone of you comes from Khla Krohoeum? I toured that area in 1986. It was 32 years ago. I traveled by a small speed boat. It was in the flood time. Our troops then stationed in a highland of Khla Krohoeum. We traveled to Peam Chhkaok and Prey Kri. It was at night when we arrived. The Khmer Rouge soldiers ambushed us […] we do not have this situation anymore. We have made peace everywhere in our country – land or water […]
Policy to Localize Factories to Provinces Is Successful
Today we meet here again in Samaki Meanjei – we have same speaker but different listeners. I will talk some of the same issues that I talked about yesterday. I also have something new to share with you too […] I just need to make this point that our policy to localize factories to provinces to be closer to our labor force has been a success […] for instance, we have so many factories built and operated in Kompong Chhnang making apparels, brewing beer, milling rice, etc. We are looking for more investment relating to agriculture to earn value added and to provide more jobs to our people […]
Was in Kompong Chhnang 32 Years Ago to Provide Floating Rice Seed
How did we secure such success? First of all we must know that everything is possibly a success because of our hard-won peace. We ended war. I talked about my trip to Khla Krohoeum area, Prey Kri, and Peam Chhkaok from 32 years ago in my capacity as Prime Minister. I would say there are not many Prime Ministers in this world who would risk their lives to do that to help resolve problems that people encountered. Samdech Kong Sam Ol was with me in that trip. It was a year of high flood. People in those areas were planting floating rice and their seeds were not ones that grow as deep as the water depth. Samdech Kong Sam Ol brought up this idea of looking for a new floating rice seed that they preserve in the Philippines […] this should give you some ideas that even in war my trip to various parts of the country also resolved many encountering problems for people […]
Keeping Existing (Factories/Jobs), Creating New Ones
As far as factories in Kompong Chhnang is concerned, it is certain that this is not where it ends. Yesterday I met with workers/employees from 5 factories, and today from 14 factories […] Kompong Chhnang still has potential to attract more investments not only in garments/apparels […] it is in this understanding that we are making efforts to keep existing factories/jobs and create new ones. We try to ensure factories will stay in our country and attract more from abroad and even local ones to create more jobs for our people. You may have jobs now but your brother and/or sisters, relatives, have not got jobs yet. We must work together to make this happen […]
Peace and Political Stability Create Long-term Confidence among Investors
How do we go about making a policy and implementing it to make sure they will stay with us? The question is why did they not invest in countries where they may have chance to pay less for labor? Why do they choose to invest in our country where they have to confront with high labor cost, high price of electricity, and even no better infrastructures than those in other countries? We can give an answer to this question – it is because Cambodia has got peace and political stability, which create for investors a long-term confidence in their businesses […]
Foreign Investors Need No Local Shareholders
In addition to that, investment laws in some countries oblige investors to have local partners to share their investment capitals […] in our country, we allow foreign investors to do it 100% by themselves. They do not need to have local shareholders. This has also created favorable conditions foreign investors since it is not necessary for them to seek a local partners, who in some instances had involved in business distrust. So that you know, whatever we achieved so far has been the fruit of cooperation between three actors – state, investors, and workers. The better you perform, the more the profit the investors will make and share a part of it with you […]
Families Benefit from Combined Incomes
According to report, in Kompong Chhannag alone, about 100 million USD is being poured into its economy. In the whole country, we have about 2 billion USD pouring into our national economy. Who actually have benefited from it? They are your families who earn it […] it is clear for us to see now that families with sons/daughters working in local factories and/or abroad have better living condition and better homes to live in. It is because every sources of incomes they have combined. On one side, their parents are working to earn income from agricultural activities and/or other traditional businesses, while you as wife, sons, and/or daughters are working and making incomes from factories […] according to the United Nations’ defined poverty rate, anyone earning 1.25 USD/day would stay above poverty line. As for you here. Your daily income is no less than 5 USD/day […]
30 June – Campaign to Provide Legal Work/Stay Permits in Thailand Ends
This has been our policy to find and make jobs for our people inside the country and abroad. On 30 June, we are going to proclaim ending campaign to provide legal work/stay permits for Cambodian workers who have been working (without legal permits) in Thailand […] in meetings of ACMECS and CLMV in Thailand recently, Thailand and Cambodia have come to an agreement that we will end such campaign but we will continue to set up booths along border passes to facilitate workers who are seeking for passports […]
Thanks Grandparents/Parents for Peace, Development, Jobs/Incomes
To achieve what we have today your grandparents and parents have made sacrifices along with me. You do not have to thank the Cambodian People’s Party but be grateful to your grandparents and parents who have given their supports to and taken parts with the Cambodian People’s Party to turn our country from one of sadness to peace and development, and to one that brings you jobs and incomes. You may want to keep this peace so that Cambodia will continue to develop […] (should you wish to do so) you need to make correct decisions. To keep peace, to continue development and to ensure income, all you have to do is to vote for the Cambodian People’s Party, whose slot position is number 20 in the ballots […]
You May Want to Make Sensible Judgments/Decisions
Parties will try to convince you to vote for them. However, you have to think about it thoroughly. Your salary may be is not up to what you want or need but you are far better off than when your grandparents/parents restarted their lives after the Khmer Rouge regime. They had to serve in the army, to carry children in and out trenches and to displace from one to another in time of war. You may want to make clear and good judgments on this. It is the Cambodian People’s Party who have brought peace to the country and our grandparents/parents have been helping to make that happened. They also have a role in making jobs and income available to you because they supported the Cambodian People’s Party […] it is then up to the people to make decisions […]
Pensions for Workers
I also have to think about my personal future. We are no different. You must have concern about your future as to what to do or how to support your life with when you no longer have works to do. You may ponder who among your children will be able to support you and/or with who you can spend your last part of lives. It is in this understanding that the Royal Government has been preparing a retirement fund and scheme for workers and for them to worry no more about whether they can or cannot depend on their children financially […]
A Retirement with Tea and Chess Board
As for me, wealth is not an issue […] but I sense that loneliness will come to me again when I am growing older. It is naturally true that my children and grandchildren will have a lot to do and think about their lives and families. It is in this thought that I came to a feeling that we both – my wife and I are going to share this loneliness. Even if some of our grandchildren are spending times with us, they also have their lives to think about and to take care of. So, what can aging people think of doing when the time comes? Since we are no longer able to do heavy sports, for me, perhaps I could think of tea with palm sugar, and chessboard to accompany and entertain the last part of life […]./.
