RFA Khmer មន្ត្រីគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាថាកម្ពុជាមិនខ្វល់រឿងអាមេរិក និងអឺរ៉...

Khmer Circle: 

These slimy officials can actually be rather slimy and disingenuous if and when they have to be!

'Kampuchea' [i.e. they and their corrupt and filthy clans] won't feel the negative impact of a lifting of these trade privileges by the EU and the US. That much goes without saying. But ordinary workers and their Chinese employers, and eventually, this ruling regime will be unlikely to escape such an impact. Does it not occur to these regime spokesmen that the rationale behind the tariff exemptions granted to Cambodia by these major market blocs has been to aid the nation’s post-war economic recovery and development after decades of strife and stagnation in the same field? Isn’t the cited ‘economic progress’ and improvement in living standard in recent years partly a reflection of this favourable treatment from those buying blocs? Now we can turn around and insist lifting such privileges is inconsequential and, given that economic improvement, inevitable anyway? 

Will the EU and US suffer from the lifting of the privilege too since their consumers will want to pay for cheaper goods? No, not to any significant extent if one considers all the sources of cheap goods and imports for the same consumers from Cambodia’s competitors in the region like Vietnam and Bangladesh alone. China alone can ensure there will always be enough cheap supplies to meet the consumer demands in the rest of the world owing to her vast pool of cheap human labour. Also, bear in mind that it is this favourable status enjoyed by Cambodia that has thus far attracted the Chinese investors to come and setup shop there. Once that status is lifted, however, everyone will feel the knocked down pressure and economic pinch, and it’s not only the workers!
 

$170 usd a month is the average wage for most Cambodian garment workers today, and this despite the tariff exemptions!