Friday, 11 July 2014

A Simple Case of Lying or Ignorance


«ឯកអគ្គរដ្ឋទូតកូរ៉េគាត់ បានប្រាប់ខ្ញុំ (លោក ឈាង វុន) ថា ឯកអគ្គរាជទូតជប៉ុនបានសរសេរ ទៅឯកឧត្តម សម រង្ស៊ីរួចហើយ ដោយស្នើឲ្យគាត់ (លោក សម រង្ស៊ី) យកគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ ឲ្យចេញផុតពីកម្មករ ដើម្បីធ្វើយ៉ាងណាឲ្យសេដ្ឋកិច្ចកម្ពុជា រស់រវើក គេចង់ធ្វើនយោបាយ គេប្រកួតប្រជែងនយោបាយ គេមិនដែល យកសេដ្ឋកិច្ចមកធ្វើចំណាប់ខ្មាំងនោះទេ ព្រោះសេដ្ឋកិច្ច គឺជាជីវិតរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។»

«ប្រសិនបើស្ថានការណ៍កូដកម្ម របស់កម្មករនៅតែពុះកញ្ជ្រោលទៀតនោះ ក្រុមហ៊ុន ៦០របស់កូរ៉េ នឹងទៅដាក់ទុននៅ ប្រទេសឡាវវិញ ព្រោះ ឡាវប្រាក់ខែមានត្រឹមតែ ៧៨ដុល្លារ តែប៉ុណ្ណោះក្នុងមួយខែ។»

ឈាង វុន ប្រធានគណៈកម្មការ កិច្ចការបរទេស សហប្រតិបត្តិការអន្តរជាតិ ឃោសនាការ និងព័ត៌មាន នៃរដ្ឋសភា, 29 December, 2013


Unless Chheang Vun is misquoted, then either Chheang Vun is lying or simply ignorant. The labour cost in Laos is not lower than that of Cambodia.

According to China Briefing in June 2011, the total labour cost for Cambodia is averaged at 672 International dollars per worker per year; Laos, 1,157 International dollar. The average labour cost incorporates all mandatory welfare allowances. The International dollar is a currency unit used by economists and international organisations to compare values of different currencies. It is adjusted to reflect currency exchange rates, purchasing power parity (PPP), and average commodity prices within each country.

A more recent research study by Christopher W Runckel, a former senior US diplomat who served in many countries in Asia, brings the figures more up to date. In his comparative wages in Asia, the legal minimum daily wage to take effect from tomorrow (1 January 2014) for Cambodia ranges from US$ 2.03 to US$ 2.05, and for Laos from US$3.33 to US$ 4.08.

Hence, Chheang Vun is wrong about the comparative wages between those of Cambodia and Laos. Is he also misleading about what the Korean ambassador he says has told him?

If it is true that the 60 Korean firms Chheang Vun refers to rush to Laos, then the reason is not because of the workers demand for a decent living, but possibly because the CPP has not won the legitimacy to run the country.

But hundreds more of the garment factories will stay put and expand, possible because they are better informed than Chheang Vun that there is still a lot of money to be made even after the workers win their case for a base wage of $160 per month.

Ung Bun Ang

31xii13

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