APD | Cambodia to launch its Economic Independence Campaign

By APD writer Kin Ratha

PHNOM PENH, Jan.14 (APD) - Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun on Friday announced the launch of National Independence campaign to build its own economy and to avoid the external threat.

The campaign which introduced by Cambodian Prime Minister is one step to prevent itself from any shock to be made by the Western countries which always threaten the country for trade preferences.

“I told deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth [Minister of Economy & Finance) to launch a campaign called “Cambodia’s Independence Campaign,” he said during the 3rd Annual Dinner with the Media in Phnom Penh capital city of Cambodia.

“We have some points to improve our business sector although we don’t get any trade preferential, we still can survive. We need to facilitate the business at the border, I decided just now that along border check points, government institutions are no longer needed aside from immigration police and customs for export and import goods. Only these two are allowed and everything else will need to be removed – even Camcontrol ,” Mr.Hun Sen stressed.

“We also have to work on it especially reducing the fee on scan on those import-export product and we also have some other issues that we have to do even more because base on what we have been doing now, it has not been good enough; it is needed to be improved,” he added.

Earlier last year, the EU began the process of withdrawing Cambodia’s EBA status, which could take up to six months and is being done due to perceived democratic and human rights setbacks in the Kingdom.

The European Union and the United States are the two major exporting markets for Cambodia’s garment and textile and agricultural products, according to the data from ministry of commerce. The country’s export to the United States accounts for 24 per cent while the export to European countries accounts for 46 percent.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)