Truth2Power Media

Pseng-Pseng

04iv19

The $300 Hun Sen Glorifies

“ប្រេង យើងអត់មានផលិតទេ យើងនាំចូលទាំងអស់ យើងអត់មានក្រុមហ៊ុនប្រេងទេ។ ប៉ុន្តែឥឡូវនេះ ក្នុងពេលនេះ ទោះបីតម្លៃទី ផ្សារយ៉ាងម៉េចក៍ដោយ តែប្រេងយើង ប្រេងសាំងដូចជានៅតាមស្ថានីយ៏ត្រឹមតែ ៣៦៥០។”

នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តីហ៊ុនសែន ថ្ងៃ​ទី២៧ ខែ​មីនា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

“និយាយពីប្រាក់ខែយើង ៣០០មែន ក៍ប៉ុន្តែយើងអាចរស់បានដោយសារទំនិញ របស់យើងវាថោកជាង វាថោកជាង តម្លៃស៊ីចុកវាថោកជាង​ ហើយពន្ធដារយើងវាមិនធ្ងន់ អញ្ចឹងគេឃើញយើងប្រាក់ខែប៉ុណ្ណេះ ប៉ុណ្ណេះ ជួនកាលគេពេបជ្រាយអាប្រាក់ខែហ្នឹង ប៉ុន្តែសួរថា​ គេនៅក្រៅប្រទេសណ៎ ប្រាក់ខែច្រើន តែសួរថា ពួកគេអាចសន្សំបានទេ?។ ឥឡូវដូចថា ៣ពាន់ គេអាចចាយបានត្រឹមតែ៣រយ ហើយទុកបាន២៧០០? អត់ទេ អត់មានលទ្ធភាពទេ។”

នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តីហ៊ុនសែន ថ្ងៃ​ទី២៧ ខែ​មីនា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

« ខ្ញុំសូមដាក់បទបញ្ជាទៅគណៈកម្មការថា លើកក្រោយ បើចាប់បានផលិតផលទាំងអស់ហ្នឹងហើយ ត្រូវតែចាប់បានម្ចាស់ដែរ បើមិនចាប់បានម្ចាស់ទេ ខ្ញុំនឹងមិនមកកម្មវិធីបំផ្លាញ ទៀតទេ។ នេះជាលក្ខខណ្ឌខ្ញុំ ព្រោះករណីហ្នឹង ធ្វើវាមិនចប់សោះ ហើយយើងមានការងារផ្សេងជា ច្រើនដែលត្រូវធ្វើ ហើយយើងមិនគួរអង្គុយបក់ផ្សែងដដែលៗ អ៊ីចឹងទេ កាលណាបានចប់? លើកក្រោយ បើចង់ឲ្យខ្ញុំមកទៀត ទាល់ចាប់បានម្ចាស់ ទើបខ្ញុំមកទៀត… ។»

រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ ស ខេង ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៣ ខែ​មីនា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

Despite being well-travelled, Hun Sen displays a selective sense of what is going on around him. Hun Sen claims a $300 monthly income in Cambodia is better than a $3,000 elsewhere. He does not specify where, but he says over there, people cannot live with the $3,000 while Cambodians could do only with 10 percent of that amount in his Land of Wonders. Indeed, one can wonder.

He brags that though Cambodia imports all fuels, its pump price is only 3,670 riels per litre. He ignores that with an exchange rate of 3,980 riels per USD, the $300 could buy only 327 litres of Gasoline 92, even less with Gasoline Super 95. Meanwhile, the $3,000 could get 3,896 litres in the US, or 2,670 litres elsewhere as the world average fuel price is $1.12 per litre. Thus, the $300 in Cambodia have far less purchasing power, especially for imports.

He claims his $300 goes a long way because foodstuffs and consumer goods are cheaper in Cambodia. Perhaps he is right. They are cheap because they are fake. There has been so much of fake products flooding local markets that Sar Kheng is sick and tired of inhaling the smokes when presiding over ceremonies to burn those confiscated.

Yet, there is no relief in sight. Sar Kheng is frustrated that tons of fake products and out-of-date foodstuffs are seized, but none of their owners are apprehended. Most are imports and Hun Sen has recently abolished Camcontrol, which is the authority charged to keep these fake stuffs out of the country. Thus, the fake products will continue to be available and putting at risk the health of the 72% of the population World Bank classifies as poor and near-poor.

Hun Sen is consumed by self-conceit. He challenges earners outside Cambodia to save 90% of their $3,000 income. The only people who could save 90% of their income is the 3% of the Cambodian population that World Bank grades as “prosperous”. This select group is dominated by Hun Sen, his family, and his significant minions whose actual incomes often far exceed their legitimate one.

He is out of touch with low income earners even though he often talks at garment workers. He must know only a few could earn $300 a month by toiling with enormous overtimes in addition to their mandatory 48-hour week that pays a mere $182 a month. Their frequent mass fainting attest to the fact that they may have neither money for nutritional foods nor time for adequate rest. He must know there are over a million Cambodians being forced to take risks working abroad for an average monthly income of $300, leaving behind their young children and family to fend for themselves.

It is shameful Hun Sen continues to exploit cheap labour by lauding fake lifestyles that are detrimental to public health and family development in the long run. He has kept them poor so that they make millions for him, his family, and his minions to enjoy.

Ung Bun Ang

4iv19

Fake News You Can Use

The talk of riel replacing dollar as a main currency in Cambodia has been on and off for ages.

Now, the “who is who” in Cambodia’s financial world describe the riel power in glowing terms. They say the riel lowers production costs, creates jobs, promotes investments and exports, and earns more revenues for the State. Oh, they also say it is about sovereignty and national pride as well. Perfect.

The only thing riel has failed to do so far is to create spine and guts for decision-makers to implement a hara-kiri. Someone in the government knows the currency that has been so far responsible for economic growth and riel stability is the dollar, not the riel, not even the ability of those who run the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Without the US dollar, the riel value will plunge down the drain, taking the whole economy and the Hun Sen government with it. Anyone with brain would trust neither the riel nor those in the Ministry to control and stabilise the riel and thus economy without the US dollar.

That is why after the talks, there is only hot air. The use of riel has plummeted from 46% in 1993 to about 10% in 2013.

“The use of the riel promotes investment and creates jobs. The use of riel will help our country obtain more revenue from issuing the currency.”

National Bank of Cambodia Deputy Governor Neav Chanthana, 26 March 2019, The Phnom Penh Post

“It is about sovereignty – we will have our own currency and it is a source of national pride as well.”

Acleda Bank President and Group Managing Director In Channy, 26 March 2019, The Phnom Penh Post

Should you wish to receive Pseng-Pseng on your screen as soon as it is released, subscribe to it at https://tinyletter.com/pseng-pseng

Pseng-Pseng is published irregularly. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com