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More predictions for the Year of the Dragon

Source: Borneo Post Online

January 25, 2012, Wednesday

HONG KONG – Want to know what’s in store for 2012? Who will win the US election? Will the eurozone implode? China’s feng shui masters tackle the big issues with their predictions for the Year of the Dragon, reports AFP.

As Chinese communities around the world rang in the new year on Monday, astrologers and geomancers predicted the dragon will bring natural disasters and financial volatility, especially to crisis-hit Europe.
“The world economy will be unstable in the Year of the Dragon, because the economies in Europe and the US are still suffering from the effects of the recession,” Hong Kong feng shui master Anthony Cheng says.
Celebrity astrologer Peter So says the United States will provide some good news late in the year, but his charts for Europe make grim reading.

“Europe will not recover so soon – it is expected to suffer at least until 2014. But what I can say is this, a recovery for the US economy is possible in 2013,” he says.

If you’re prepared to ride the dragon and invest in 2012, Russia and China could be your best bets. The two emerging markets will be the best performers in a volatile year, says Cheng.

But be prepared for surprises, especially out of China where the Communist Party will hold its 18th Congress to select a new generation of leaders.

“In the second half of the year, a scandalous corruption case will be exposed in China,” warns Cheng, refusing to elaborate about who will be implicated.

“I can also predict that in Hong Kong and in mainland China, a number of high-ranking officials will be forced to step down. Some may be thrown behind bars, or even pass away.”

Many Chinese take such predictions seriously and adjust their lives accordingly. Feng shui, the ancient study of the forces of chi, or life energy, is a daily part of life in the Chinese world.

One of Hong Kong’s largest brokerages, CLSA, releases a Feng Shui Index every year, offering its “tongue-in-cheek” predictions for global markets and world affairs.

Lest anyone takes it seriously, CLSA admits that feng shui’s “original purpose was to locate auspicious burial spots, not call the twists and turns of the equity markets or individual sectors”.

But it has a stab anyway, even if some of its predictions are less than audacious. For example, it says the stars point to a “job opening” for Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, the man everyone expects to become China’s next ruler after the 18th Congress in October or November.

As for US politics, the soothsayers are more cautious. When asked who will win the US elections, So refuses to make a prediction without precise information about the dates and times of the candidates’ births.
“Sometimes luck depends on the country itself, rather than an individual president,” he says enigmatically.
“For the US, they are starting to have luck on their side again, so it is going to be a good year no matter who’s elected.”

The five Chinese elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water, and 2012 is tipped to be big on water. This could mean riches and abundance, but it could also spell disaster.

Well-known Hong Kong astrologer Alion Yeo says we should brace for storms and floods. “Expect to see a lot of flooding in areas like Thailand and South East China,” he says.

So sees similar portents, but with an earthy twist.

“Indonesia, Pakistan, India and places in China like Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou are particularly disaster-prone. They are likely to experience frequent earthquakes,” he says.

While the ancient Chinese were developing their systems of astrology and geomancy, people across the Pacific were finding other ways to predict the future.

The Mayans of modern-day South America purportedly had a calendar that showed the world would come to an end on December 21, 2012.

Like the historians who rubbish such interpretations of Mayan belief, So says there is no need to fear the end is nigh.

“Doomsday is just a bunch of make-believe,” he says.

Hong Kong geomancer Li Nan Jiang who has previously made accurate predictions, has the following to say.

Global economic downturn
The economic uncertainty will continue into 2012, with possible shocks to the global economy. Financial centres around the world may face new challenges throughout the year, especially the Hong Kong stock market.

Workers may also face retrenchment and unemployment rates may rise. Living costs may also rise in the face of natural disasters and a weaker US dollar.

Earthquake in North America
Natural disasters such as Japan’s tsunami would not just happen in Asia, but may also happen in North America.

He predicted that an earthquake measuring at least seven on the Richter scale may hit North America’s west and north-west areas especially during the third, sixth, eighth, eleventh and twelfth months of the Lunar calendar.

A time of peace and stability
2012 would be a year of relative stability and peace, unlike 2011, which saw events like Kim Jung-il’s death and the Arab Spring.

The world will be relatively peaceful, with the exception of minor conflicts.

Illness and diseases
There may be a resurgence of a disease not unlike previous years’ swine flu and SARs. The disease may sweep through the world, with the situation a lot like Hong Kong’s SARs crisis.

Asia may have an outbreak of a lethal intestinal virus, so everyone should be careful of their dietary habits and not contract this virus.

Disasters and calamities in 2012

Most wide-spread disaster
Droughts may occur in the Americas, Canada, China, Thailand and Russia. There will also be famine, causing the prices of various food essentials to rise and affect people around the world.

Longest-running disaster
The days in the Dragon year will be very hot, and this may cause strong winds. Taiwan, Philippines, Japan and the regional areas may experience hurricanes.

Most common disaster
Beware of traffic safety as there may be an increased number of traffic accidents in the Dragon year. The Europe and America region may also see a large-scale air disaster.
Travellers should be more careful, especially those going abroad for work.

– Agencies

Cambodia Sees Trade Deficit of 1.73 bln USD

Source: Xinhua, 25 January 2012

Cambodia recorded a trade deficit equivalent to 1.73 billion U.S. dollars in 2011, according to the statistics of the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday.

It showed that the country's total import and export value was 11.47 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 39 percent from 8.26 billion U.S. dollars in a year earlier.

The imports last year jumped by 38 percent to 6.6 billion U.S. dollars, and the exports increased by 39.5 percent to 4.87 billion U.S. dollars, leading the trade deficit of 1.73 billion U.S. dollars, it added.
Cambodia is heavily dependent on international trade and its economy relies on garment industry, tourism, agriculture and construction.

According to the statistics, the main products Cambodia exported last year included garment and textile in equivalent to 4. 24 billion U.S. dollars, representing up to 87 percent of the country's total exports.

The exports of rubber latex reached 201 million U.S. dollars, up 131 percent; milled rice hit 104 million U.S. dollars, up 197 percent; and the rest amount was the exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

In terms of imports, the country shipped in products including garment and textile raw materials of 2.6 billion U.S. dollars, up 20 percent; petroleum of 1.38 billion U.S. dollars, up 108 percent; construction materials of 560 million U.S. dollars, up 127 percent; automobiles and motorcycles of 365 million U.S. dollars, up 45 percent; food and soft drinks of 162 million U.S. dollars, up 21 percent.

In addition, the imports of pharmaceutical products and cosmetics were 141 million U.S. dollars, down 1.5 percent.

Workshop on the Development of ToR for Oversight Board and Workong Group of Sub-Decree No. 133

By Chea Sophal
20 January 2012

Phnom Penh, Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration World Health Organization organized half-day workshop to discuss and set up the terms of reference for the Oversight Board and Working Group on the implementation of the sub-decree No. 133 on Marketing of Product for Infant and Young  Child Feeding  on 20 January 2012 at Phnom Penh Hotel.  The proposed working group will be chaired by H.E. Thir Kruy, Secretary of State, MoH, and members from all four line ministries-MoH, Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy (MIME), Ministry of Information (MoI), Ministry of Commerce (MoC), Council for Agricultural Rural Development, Drugs and Food Department, National Maternal and Child Health Centre, National Nutrition Program, WHO, Department of Hospital Services, UNICEF, and NGOS.

The Joint Prakas on Implementation of Sub-Decree on Marketing of Products for Infant and Young Child Feeding (MoH, MoC, MIME, and MoI) outlines the tasks for the Oversight Board as follows:  - The Board shall meet quarterly;  - To receive and consider reports on the implementation of the sub-decree from MoC, MoH, MIME, describing how they have fulfilled their obligations and responsibilities in terms of Articles 2 to 6 of this Joint Prakas;

- To receive reports from IOs, NGOs, health workers, and the general public regarding the processing of complaints of violations of the Sub-decree;

- To compile and disseminate, nationally and internationally, bi-annual reports on violations and actions taken to remedy them;

- To review annual progress achieved and constraints faced by department/program/centers within the MoC, MoH, MIME, and MoH in enforcing the Sub-decree and provide recommendations on how to improve them; and

- Request the Government, partners and donors organizations for seeking resources and funding to support the implementation.

Ms. Monique Mosolf pointed out that last year workshop was important to review the implementation of sun-decree 133, which restricts aggressive commercial marketing of infant formula and encourages companies that produce and sell infant products to provide timely and accurate information.  The Government efforts to enforce the sub-decree helped contribute directly to improving early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding rates, as evident by the results of the recent Cambodia Demographic Health Survey (CDHS) 2010.  Improved breastfeeding, resulting from improved policies, contributes to the significant reduction of infant and child mortality we have witnessed in Cambodia in recent years.

Review Workshop of the Implementation and Enforcement of Sub-decree No. 133

By Chea Sophal
23 August 2011

Phnom Penh, Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration World Health Organization organized one day workshop to review the implementation and enforcement of the sub-decree No. 133 on Marketing of Product for Infant and Young  Child Feeding  on 23 August 2011 at Phnom Penh Hotel.

The workshop aims at:   

-  reviewing the implementation and enforcement of the Sub-Decree and Joint Prakas of all four line ministries-MoH, Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy (MIME), Ministry of Information (MoI), and Ministry of Commerce (MoC);

 -  identifying achievements, strengths and weaknesses and ways to improve the implementation and enforcement of the Sub-Decree and the Joint Prakas; and

-  agreeing on recommendations and way forward for the improvement of the implementation and enforcement by the four line ministries and development partners.

Dr. Prak Sophonneary, Deputy Director of National Maternal and Child Health Centre (NMCHN), MoH, presented about the Nutrition Situation of Children in Cambodia focusing on undernourished children 0-59 months, key  success factors for reducing child mortality from 2000 to 2010 due to immunization, vitamin A supplementation, breastfeeding, and improved socio-economic conditions.

Dr. Prak pointed out the successes in implementation of sub-decree via infant and young child feeding (IYCF) including the facility-based interventions on the establishments of Baby Friendly Hospital (BFH) Initiative (13 public hospitals out of 78 certified as BFH and Infant and Young Child Feeding integrated with HIV counseling) and Baby Friendly Community Initiative (more than 4,421 villages joined this initiative as of December 2010, out of more than 13,000 villages in Cambodia).

The challenges in the implementation and enforcement of the Sub-Decree include limited monitoring and enforcement of the violation of the Sub-Decree in all places; limited of the violation of the Sub-Decree in private and public health facilities;  no widely received information related to violation of Sub-Decree from implementers and other development partners; and violation of Sub-Decree lead to misleading information that prevent good practice of IYCF.

Mr. Pich Chan, Deputy Director of Technical Affairs and Public Relation Department, Directorate-General of Camcontrol, MoC, expressed their roles and responsibilities,  legislative support for law enforcement of Camcontrol, the import permit from MoH, Procedures of import goods, market surveillance on food safety and implementation of sub-decree No. 133, obstacles of implementation and enforcement of sub-decree no. 133, and proposed action plan to implement sub-decree no. 133.  

The legal instruments for law enforcement of Camcontrol consist of Law on Management of Quality and Safety of Products and Services dated 21 June 2000, Law on Standard of Cambodia dated 24 June 2007, Sub-decree No. 21 Facilitating Trade Through Risk Management System dated 1 March 2006, Sub-decree No. 209 December 2007 promulgated the list of prohibited and restricted goods that are subject to border control, Sub-decree No. 47 on Food Hygiene for Human, Sub-decree No.133 on Marketing of Products for Infant and Young Child Feeding, Inter-Ministerial Prakas No. 61 on Implementation of Sub-decree No.133, and Inter-Ministerial Prakas No. 868 on Implementing and Coordination of Food Safety System from Farm to Table dated 22 October 2010.

Dr. Ou Kevanna, Manager of National Nutrition Programme, NMCHC, showed about the existing violations of the sub-decree no. 133 which include fake promotional messages, images, billboards, announcements, brand names for instance, "Frisolac-unique and complete balance of nutrients" , "Dumex- Bringing up brighter champions", "Raising an intelligent child is no longer a dream- Use Nan", "Lactogen.... good for brain, bones, and body", and "Meiji - Almost a Brest Milk...".   However, the positive marketing practices following the Sub-decree 133 include promotion of breastfeeding is the best from birth to 2 years in local language, producing labels in Khmer, withdraw pictures of baby or attractive logos, and promotion of cup feeding instead of bottle feedings.  

South China Sea Not on Asean Agenda: Defense Minister

Source: VOA Khmer
Chun Sakada

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Neither disputes over the South China Sea nor the Cambodian-Thai border will be on the agenda for Asean defense ministers, a top Cambodian official said Tuesday.

Speaking at an Asean strategy forum in Phnom Penh, Defense Minister Tea Banh said Cambodia will appeal to Asean members and China to work to resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but Cambodia will not put it directly on any agenda for meetings in July.

The border dispute closer to home will be settled through other means and is no longer a priority, he said.
“The issue of Cambodian-Thai border conflict would be tackled in accordance with international law, friendship and cooperation,” he said.

Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Cambodia’s position on the border dispute was a step backward, since last year it had made a direct request to Indonesia, then the rotating president of Asean, to intervene.

“Now when Cambodia has become the chairman of Asean, we do not raise the issue,” he said. “We’ve refused this topic.”

Independent political analyst Lao Monghay said the border dispute is a thorny issue, because Cambodia is both the head of Asean and a party to the dispute.

The South China Sea issues remain tricky, too, he said, “because China is a world power.”

Economy boosts banking in 2011

Source: The Phnom Penh Post
May Kunmakara with additional reporting by Diana Montano
Wednesday, 11 January 2012


Growth was the watchword in the Kingdom’s banking sector last year, with deposits, loans and profits – and the number of institutions – climbing, insiders said yesterday.

A rebound in the Cambodian economy following the global financial crisis had led to growth in trade, the agriculture sector and the once-lagging construction industry, which helped to boost the need for financing, they said.

“Our economy performed very well, which led to the creation of new businesses and demand for loans,” So Phonnary, executive vice-president at ACLEDA Bank, said yesterday.

She also noted the growth in tourism and garment and textile exports as reasons for the sector’s strong year in 2011.

ACLEDA’s total loans reached more than US$1 billion last year, up 34 per cent from $744.4 million in 2010, according to So Phonnary.

At the same time, deposits had totalled $1.47 billion in 2011, a more than 60 per cent increase from $911.2 million the year before, she said.

Profits at the bank climbed to $43.7 million last year, compared to $26.4 million in 2010, So Phonnary said.  The ratio of non-performing loans fell to 0.23 per cent in 2011 from 0.5 per cent the year before.

ANZ Royal Bank chief executive Stephen Higgins said via email that his company had also generated a strong performance, with NPLs having fallen to very low levels.

“2011 was a very good year for ANZ Royal, with profit significantly up on 2010,” Higgins said, although he did not disclose specific figures.

Han Peng Kwang, general manager of HwangDBS Commercial Bank in Cambodia, said his firm’s total loans soared 180 per cent year-on-year to US$18.2 million. He attributed the increase to overall business growth and a recovering real-estate sector.

“Our loans grew significantly due to strong demand from the public for business expansion and working capital, and also to purchase residential houses,” Han said.

He did, however, note a decline in deposits at HwangDBS in 2011. Total deposits fell 21 per cent to $10.4 million on customer withdrawals, Han Penh Kwang said, but he did not offer reasons for those withdrawals.

The increased banking activity last year also attracted new banks to the country, bringing the total number of commercial institutions to 33.

Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Mega International Commercial Bank and Taiwan Co-operative Bank, from Taiwan, and the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank of  Vietnam began operations in the Kingdom.

Insiders yesterday disagreed on whether the Cambodian market could support such a large number. ANZ Royal’s Higgins called for consolidation, but others said there was still room for growth.

“I believe market pressure is not so strong as to compel smaller banks to merge,” Hiroshi Suzuki, CEO and chief economist at Business Research Institute for Cambodia, said.

Despite the sector’s positive gains, the year wasn't perfect for the Kingdom’s banks. ACLEDA suffered credit rating downgrades from both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s in September and November respectively.

In September, Moody's  changed its outlook for Cambodian Public Bank to “negative” from “stable”.

But ACLEDA chief executive officer and president In Channy said yesterday the bank would look to strengthen its position in 2011 through better loan quality, higher profits, increased shareholder capital and a focus on market niches.

The bank aimed to expand in underserved markets such as those in the rural provinces of the Kingdom, In Channy said.

He did note that ACLEDA would be vulnerable to ratings downgrades if Cambodia’s sovereign rating  were also lowered, which S&P did last year.

“The institutional strength [of ACLEDA] can be influenced by the country’s sovereignty rating. We are subject to a decrease in rating if the country rating also decreases,” In Channy said.

As for 2012, bankers saw different outcomes for the sector.

HwangDBS’s Han Peng Kwang said increased competition and uncertainties in the global economy would weigh on Cambodia.

ANZ Royal’s Higgins said he was optimistic that the industry would again deliver strong results.

“The outlook for the banking sector is still quite positive, reflecting the underlying strength of the economy,” he said.

No rush on NGO law

Source: The Phnom Penh Post
Chhay Channyda
Thursday, 29 December 2011


Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government will wait until 2014 if that is what it takes to achieve consensus on the highly criticised draft law on associations and NGOs.

Speaking at a high school graduation yesterday, the premier said Cambodia had already been waiting for 33 years for the necessary law and to wait another two or three years would hardly make any difference.

“If we have not agreed by 2012, there will be no issue, we will wait until 2013; if not 2013, we will wait until 2014,” Hun Sen said. “We have been in discussions for almost 20 years, so we will not be too early.”

The draft NGO law aims to establish a framework for the registration of NGOs and associations and to safeguard the “rights and freedoms” of the organisations, according to the fourth draft of the law compiled by the Ministry of Interior.

The Council of Ministers sent the draft law back to the Ministry of Interior to re-draft earlier this year. While the fourth draft is markedly different from the third draft, civil society organisations in Cambodia and abroad are still not satisified with the law, particularly a provision that effectively makes registration compulsory.

Despite heated public outcry over the law and a call by civil society for its abandonment, the premier said in no uncertain terms there would be a law.

“We must have this law. It is too unreasonable [to request the law be abandoned],” he said. “The government pays attention to all activities of organisations and considers this an important part of a developing country.”

Hun Sen added that the law must “be accepted by all sides” to pass and rejected criticisms that the government was dictatorial or that the National Assembly was merely a rubber stamp for the ruling party.

“Issuing this law will facilitate the humanitarian work of organisations that are willing to import materials to hand out to Cambodians, because the import tax for these organisations is exempt,” he said.

The premier’s address was welcomed by Cambodian legal experts and some civil society organisations.

“Civil society has demanded more discussion time from the government, and this is a better point to hear the delay in passing the law,” Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project said.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, applauded Hun Sen’s stance.

“This is a positive result opening the discussion for longer to avoid criticism after the law goes into effect,” he said.

At an open forum with civil society representatives last week, the Ministry of Interior welcomed written and verbal feedback on the fourth draft but made no firm commitments to adopt feedback into a fifth draft of the contentious law.

Cambodian employers embrace the challenge

Source: Bangkok Post, 09 January 2012

As Cambodia strives to make its way in the global economy, more attention is being paid to the business and investment climate, with a particular focus on labour rights. Van Sou Ieng, the president of the powerful Cambodia Federation of Employers and Business Associations (Camfeba), believes there has been steady progress on many fronts. He spoke recently with the Post's Achara Ashayagachat.Q: How will Cambodia's Asean chairmanship affect the domestic economy and business environment?

A: Hosting the Asean summits will ensure Cambodia is a credible and respected country as we are playing a part in global society. It shows that Cambodia can also be relied on.

For business, [engaging and integrating] with the world is a big opportunity _ certainly with both advantages and disadvantages, as we have to improve infrastructure, energy, transport and telecommunications. But (foreign) investment will come later when businessmen are confident in Cambodia.

Q: What about upgrading labour standards?

A: Cambodia is the only country apart from Jordan and Haiti that link trade and labour standards, or we cannot export. For example, garment and footwear companies are regularly inspected by international auditors. It's quite extremely stable for workers; workers have been protected by ILO (International labour Organization) standards. Buyers also check [compliance].

Q: So no problem, quite a good business environment?

A: But the challenge (for employers) is that workers have abused their freedom of association by setting up too many trade unions. Now, there are 2,300 unions for 400 factories, meaning one plant with some seven to 10 unions. How can a husband have peace with seven wives?

Now, the government, since it can't stop this, is trying to pass a new law to manage the "wives". The authorities and employers will listen and deal with the most-voted representatives of those unions. Those with fewer votes will not have the right to negotiate. [The law] is being debated in the parliament now, and it is hoped that it can be enacted within the first half of 2012.

Q: How about protecting Cambodian migrants in neighbouring countries?

A: This is a new issue for our country. Now the government has been trying to monitor the rights and plights of our migrants. [Workers] will have to go through a recruitment agency, while the authorities will also set up care centres in countries such as Malaysia to deal with the issue in destination countries.

Q: It sounds good, as Asean as well as Cambodia have several mechanisms to take care of women and children and migrant labour.

A: Yes, but Asean has to deal with human rights issues at their own speed; we cannot just bring in an outside standard and implement it in Asean.

Q: You mean that having a lower common denominator is justified?

A: No. It's about perceptions of rights that could be different. Asean has many ethnic groups and different levels of development; [it takes] education of the people and time to digest information about freedom and rights. This issue must not be abused to instill violent behaviour _ your rights must have borders; do not trespass into others' boundaries.

Q: Do you feel the Arab Spring impact will seep into Asean as frustration about economic inequality might become a trigger of political violence too?

A: Once the population becomes educated, they will understand their rights and freedom and demand more. If you oppress them too long, they will revolt.

What's perhaps a more pressing concern for us is the imminent formation of the Asean Economic Community and people will be able to move more freely. Political violence is still not so damaging compared to natural disasters _ look at Thailand, where your recent floods were worse than the protests.

But what we are learning from the world is that if we copy the European Union, workers will not help themselves but will wait for the state. We must not fall into the (western) trap. Of course social safety nets are necessary but they must be within relevant contexts and traditions. Europe has its own character, and so has Asean.

Cambodia vows to finalize ASEAN human rights declaration this year

Source: The Jakarta Post
Saturday, January 07, 2012

Rasmei Kampuchea Daily, The Asia News Network, Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Sat, 01/07/2012

Cambodia aims to finalize the drafting of an ASEAN Human Rights Declaration this year as it chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cambodian Human Rights Committee chairman Om Yin Tieng said.
"This is a big job and needs a lot of discussions. However, we are confident that we can finalize it by this year," said Om Yin Tieng, who is also a senior minister and chair of the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights in 2012.

He said the commission would hold its first meeting on the declaration in Siem Reap on January 8 and 9, immediately ahead of a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers.

Human rights group Amnesty International called Friday for ASEAN institutions to make public and accessible a draft of the declaration.

"An inclusive drafting process, taking into account input from civil society and any other interested individuals or groups, is crucial for the Declaration. The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration concerns every woman, man and child in the region, and it is only natural that they should be given an opportunity to have their say," a statement said.

The group said it was "disappointed by the secrecy surrounding the drafting process so far. Not a single piece of substantive information on the process has been officially shared, and even the Terms of Reference of the Drafting Group have been kept confidential."

Om Yin Tieng said the upcoming meeting of the commission was an internal meeting. (mtq)

Jordan garment sector seeks exclusion from wage hike

Source:  Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
January 03, 2012 (Jordan
 
Jordan’s garment sector has urged the Government to exclude it from the proposed minimum wage hike for workers in the country.

Garment entrepreneurs in Jordan are apprehending that if the minimum wage is hiked from the current JOD 150 to JOD 190, this would raise their operational cost by 15 to 20 percent and prove detrimental to the industry’s competitiveness.

Speaking at a meeting of the Jordan Garments, Accessories and Textiles Exporters Association (JGATE), which was attended by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Labour Ministry representatives, JGATE CEO Mohammad Khurma requested the Government to grant an exemption to the garment industry from raising the wages.

He said the garment industry is not opposed to raising the living standard of the local workers, but it does not agree that raising minimum wage can serve the purpose.

Making a mention that the sector serves as a source of livelihood for about 16,000 domestic and 27,000 migrant workers, Mr. Khurma noted that the proposed minimum wage differentiates between the domestic and foreign workers, which would amount to violation of Article 6 of Jordan’s Free Trade Agreement with the US.

He claimed that the Jordanian garment firms are already paying their workers in excess of the proposed minimum wage of JOD 190, including non-cash benefits. The workers enjoy free transportation facility and also earn other incentives from the industry, which usually sums up to more than JOD 190, he informed.

The JGATE Chief forewarned that the Government’s move of raising minimum wage for domestic workers would incite foreign workers to observe strikes to earn wages at par with their Jordanian counterparts.

He further pointed out that the country’s garment industry is mainly served by lures young workers in the age group of 18 to 24 years, who mostly do not happen to be the main bread-earners for their family; rather they only contribute a part of the same.

Mr. Khurma warned that the Ministry’s decision would cause a number of garment manufacturing units to close down or shift their business elsewhere outside Jordan, where they meet more favourable investment climate. 

អត្រា​មរណភាព​របស់​ទារក​និង​កុមារ​ក្រោម​អាយុ​៥​ឆ្នាំ​មាន​ការ​ថយ​ចុះ

​ Kampuchea Thmey, 06 January 2011 ភ្នំពេញ ​៖ ​តំណាង​អង្គការ​យូ​នី​សេ​ហ្វ​ប្រចាំ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​បាន​មានប្រសាសន៍​ថា​ អត្រា​មរណភាព​របស់​ទារក ​និង ​កុមារ​អាយុ​ក្រោម​៥​ឆ្នាំ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​បាន​ថយ​ចុះ​គួរ​ឲ្យ​កត់​សម្គាល់ ​ហើយ​អត្រា​កុមារ​ចុះឈ្មោះ​ចូលរៀន​មា​ការ​កើនឡើង​ផង​ដែរ។​ លោក Richard Bridle តំណាង​អង្គការ​យូ​នី​សេ​ហ្វ​ប្រចាំ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​បាន​មានប្រសាសន៍​នៅក្នុង​ពិធី​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​ព្រឹត្តិបត្រ​ស្ថានភាព​កុមារ​ កាលពី​ថ្ងៃទី ០៥ ខែមករា ឆ្នាំ២០១២ ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា​អត្រា​មរណភាព​របស់​ទារក​បាន​កាត់បន្ថយ​ពាក់កណ្ដាល​ពី៩៥នាក់​ក្នុង១ពាន់​កំណើត​រស់​នៅក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ២០០០មក​នៅ​ត្រឹម ៤៥នាក់ ក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ ២០១០។ ​ទន្ទឹម​ពេលនេះ អត្រា​មរណភាព​របស់​កុមារ​ក្រោម​អាយុ៥ឆ្នាំ​បាន​ធ្លាក់ចុះ១២៤នាក់មក​នៅត្រឹម៤៥នាក់។   លោក វេជ្ជបណ្ឌិត ម៉ម ប៊ុនហេង រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ក្រសួងសុខាភិបាល បាន​មានប្រសាសន៍​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា​ដែរ​ថា ការ​ធ្លាក់ចុះ​អត្រា​មរណភាព​មិនមែន​តែ​ចំពោះ​ទារក​និង កុមារ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​ទេ រីឯ​អត្រា​មរណភាព​របស់​មាតា​ក៏​មាន​ការធ្លាក់ចុះ​គួរ​ឲ្យ​កត់សម្គាល់​ផងដែរ។ លោក បន្តថា​ ការ​ធ្លាក់ចុះ​នូវ​អត្រា​ស្លាប់​របស់​ទារក កុមារ និង​មាតា នេះ​បានបង្ហាញ​ឲ្យ​ឃើញ​ពី​ភាព​ជោគជ័យ​របស់​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ជាពិសេស​ក្រសួងសុខាភិបាល និង អង្គការ​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​នានា ដែល​បាន​ខិតខំ​ប្រឹងប្រែង ក្នុង​ការ​អនុវត្ត​លើ​ការថែទាំ​សុខភាព​ដល់​កុមារ និង​ស្ត្រី។ជាង​នេះទៅទៀត ភាព​ជោគជ័យ​ទាំងនេះ​មិនអាច​ខ្វះ​បាន​ពី​ការ​គាំទ្រ​យ៉ាង​ពេញទំហឹង​ពី​សំណាក់​សម្ដេច​អគ្គមហាសេនាបតី​តេ​ជោ​ហ៊ុនសែន និង លោក ជំទាវ​កិត្តិ​ព្រឹទ្ធ​បណ្ឌិត ដែលជា​និច្ចកាល​សម្ដេច និង លោកជំទាវ​តែងតែ​គិតគូរ​អំពី​សុខមាលភាព​​របស់​កុមារ និង ស្ត្រី​យើង៕ សំអឿន    

State of the world: U.N. poverty-reduction goals on track

Part 4 of the surprisingly upbeat state of the world: U.N. global poverty-reduction goals are met.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

By Peter Grier, Staff writer / December 26, 2011

Eleven years ago, at the Millennium Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York, the leaders of the world agreed to a plan meant to spur efforts to help the globe's poorest.

This blueprint involved a series of benchmarks – Millennium Development Goals – to measure the progress of developing nations on poverty, hunger, primary education, and so forth. The point was to rally international efforts to try to bring a better life to those who most needed it by 2015.

Well, 2015 is rapidly looming into view, insofar as development is concerned. And right now it looks as if most of the nations involved are going to reach most of the objectives.


"Two-thirds of developing countries are on track or close to meeting the Millennium Development Goals," begins the World Bank's "Global Monitoring Report 2011."

The world will easily meet the overall goal on poverty, for instance, if indeed the number of people living on less than $1.25 per day falls to the expected 883 million in 2015.

True, much of the progress against poverty stems from the economic gains of China and India, two huge capitalist economies that have grown rapidly in recent decades. But this growth wasn't foreordained, and the world should celebrate the fact that an enormous number of ordinary Chinese and Indians now can live better lives, say officials at nongovernmental development organizations.

And China and India aren't alone. Among the nations that have either halved poverty already or will do so by 2015 are Cambodia, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Mauritania.

What's led these and other lower-income countries to start climbing out of the economic basement? Good policies in regard to controlling domestic government budgets and currencies, plus rising prices for the commodities on which many poorer nations depend for export earnings. Overall, 80 percent of developing nations should meet the poverty goal.

"On the whole, the fight against poverty is progressing well," says the "Global Monitoring Report 2011."
Economic growth tends to be a foundation from which progress on other measures of well-being can build. Consider hunger, for instance. It's obvious that as the world's poorest people gain more money, food is one of the first things they spend it on. Indeed, the world is on track to halve extreme hunger in many of the same places where poverty is declining. About 45 percent of developing nations have already reached this goal. And 33 percent are close.

Education is another area helped by economic progress. One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in this area is for developing nations to provide access to primary schooling for all children who want it, boys and girls. Eighty-three percent of developing nations are either close to this benchmark or have reached it.

"Economic growth tends to affect very quickly other MDGs," says World Bank economist Delfin Go. But growth alone doesn't solve all of a poor nation's problems, he adds. In many cases, systems of aid delivery need to be improved to trigger social gains. For instance, while primary education enrollments in developing nations have climbed in recent years, learning outcomes haven't kept pace. In India, most young children are enrolled in primary school, but some 40 percent can't do simple subtraction.

And reaching the MDGs is only one step. The World Bank notes that within countries that are making progress, there remain pockets of deprivation, often concentrated among socially excluded groups.
Plus, there is a lower tier of nations that remains mired in misery. Many of these are states with ineffective or corrupt governments in sub-Saharan Africa. Poverty there has fallen since 2000, but the region as a whole is likely to miss the 2015 poverty reduction goal.

Still, at least this poorest of the world's areas appears to be moving forward. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that overall real gross domestic product growth in sub-Saharan Africa will reach 5.25 percent to 5.75 percent in 2011-12.

"The region is poised for continued economic expansion in the near term, provided the recent rise in financial and economic instability in major advanced economies remains contained," predicts an IMF World Economic Outlook from September.

Taking a look back at the year in news

Source: The Phnom Penh Post
Kristin Lynch and Post Staff
Monday, 02 January 2012



Flooding disaster
Torrential rainfall during this year’s rainy season caused the worst flooding to hit the Kingdom in decades. Flooding began in the upper Mekong in mid-July then expanded to provinces around the Tonle Sap Lake in September and October. About 250 people were killed, more than 250,000 were displaced, more than 1.6 million people were directly affected and at least 10 per cent of the nation’s rice fields were ruined or damaged. Although the government did not declare a national emergency, aid workers say villages in some provinces will take two to three years to recover. Government officials expect to spend nearly US$200 million to repair infrastructure, including roads, bridges and schools. Climate change experts believe that such disasters will increase in frequency and severity. This will require improved flood management, enhanced early warning and detection systems, and the implementation of risk reduction strategies, they say.

Firefight at Preah Vihear
Since the 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that the Preah Vihear temple, situated along the Thai-Cambodian border, belonged to Cambodia, the two neighbours have frequently bickered over the rights to the Hindu shrine. In early 2011, bickering turned to artillery fire as fighting between the two countries erupted near the UNESCO world heritage site, displacing tens of thousands of villagers and leaving at least 28 dead. In July, the ICJ intervened, establishing a provisional demilitarised zone around the area and ordering the deployment of independent border observers from Indonesia. Meanwhile, the July election of the Puea Thai party in Thailand was seen as a positive sign that an agreement between the two countries might be reached. At a General Border Committee meeting on December 22, both countries agreed to withdraw troops from the disputed territory, however, to this date, no definitive timeline for withdrawal has been established.

Khmer Rouge tribunal
November marked the opening of one of the most complex international trials in recent memory, when Case 002, against the surviving senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime, got under way. Earlier in the year, the court was rocked by the shock resignation of German investigating judge Siegfried Blunk, who cited perceptions of government interference and corruption as his motivation. Days before Case 002 began, former social action minister Ieng Thirith was declared unfit to stand trial as she most likely suffers from Alzheimer’s. Judges ordered her conditional release; however, this decision was later reversed. The three leaders charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions are ex-president Khieu Samphan, former foreign affairs minister Ieng Sary and one-time chief ideologue Nuon Chea, known as “Brother Number 2”.

Maid abuse
A reported nine domestic migrant workers died in Malaysia this year, revealing the dark underbelly of an industry rife with serious rights abuses, including slave labour working conditions, debt bondage and torture. As these cases began to emerge, and as a handful of labour-recruitment firms were raided and found to be recruiting underage workers and at times, forcibly detaining them, Prime Minister Hun Sen attempted to crack down on the industry by issuing a directive in October that prevented recruitment firms from sending domestic workers to Malaysia. A loophole in the ban, however, exempted trainees with existing contracts and travel documents. And while the Association of Cambodian Recruitment Agencies pledged to regulate itself and avoid exploiting the loophole, many firms flouted the measure. Rights workers and lawmakers are now calling for stricter regulations of the industry and a bilateral agreement with Malaysia that would guarantee the protection of workers.

Boeung Kak lake
On August 11, Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a sub-decree that set aside 12.44 hectares of land around Boeung Kak lake for the onsite relocation of families who remained living at the lakeside, following a funding freeze on new country projects by the World Bank. It was thought that the sub-decree would spell the beginning of the end of a land dispute more than four years in the making. In 2007, local firm Shukaku Inc – owned by ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin – was granted a 99-year lease to develop 133 hectares of land around the lake in the capital’s Daun Penh district. Rights groups estimated that the project would ultimately displace about 4,000 families, and years of protests by affected residents ensued. Following the premier’s announcement of the resettlement deal, a bloody forced eviction in September left eight families without homes, several people injured, and one young activist beaten into unconsciousness. In December, the government finally began issuing land titles to families, leaving many hopeful that 2012 could be the last chapter in this long-running land dispute.

Factory faintings
More than a dozen mass fainting incidents at garment and footwear factories raised questions about working conditions for the nearly 400,000 workers responsible for about 85 per cent of the Kingdom’s exports. More than 1,500 workers were reported to have fainted in the incidents, which sparked investigations by the labour ministry, the International Labor Organisation and brand name manufacturers such as Adidas and H&M. The investigations found numerous causes for the fainting incidents, ranging from poor ventilation and toxic chemicals to “mass psychogenic illness” and unhealthy lifestyles. Union leaders, however, pointed to low wages and excessive overtime, explaining that the workers, primarily young women from villages, were supporting entire families on a basic wage of US$61 a month. In November, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the workers would receive a health bonus of $5 a month beginning this month.

Moek Dara trial
The Anti-Corruption Unit’s highest-profile case to date unfolded in 2011, beginning with the January arrest of Moek Dara, then-secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, and six of his associates. The former drug czar was arrested based on testimony from provincial police chiefs in Banteay Meanchey, who had also been apprehended. The disgraced former three-star general stands accused of taking bribes of as much as US$140,000 in exchange for releasing dealers from prison and pocketing drugs from raids. A verdict in the trial, which commenced in November and wrapped up two weeks ago, is expected in January. Rights workers welcomed the arrests, which they hope are a sign of the potential of the year-old ACU in combating corruption.

Stock market debut
After years of planning and delays, the Cambodian Stock Exchange launched in mid-July, giving the Kingdom the distinction of hosting one of the world’s tiniest stock exchanges. Government officials, academics and investors praise the bourse as a way to improve accounting standards and financial transparency, while boosting the country’s economic growth. However, despite these lofty expectations, not a single company has yet been listed, mostly because of the challenge of complying with the exchange’s necessary accounting standards. Officials expect three state-owned entities to list shortly – Telecom Cambodia, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, and the Phnom Penh Water Supply – but they have been repeating that since July, with little to show. Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon said in October that he expects stocks to begin trading in early 2012, but given the delays that have plagued the bourse thus far, this prediction warrants a fair amount of scepticism.

NGO draft law
Prime Minister Hun Sen ended 2011 affirming his commitment to a draft law aimed at regulating associations and NGOs. The premier said he was willing to wait until 2014 to pass the law, if that was what was needed to reach a consensus on the controversial legislation. First circulated last December, the draft law has undergone multiple revisions over the past 12 months, and drawn sharp criticism from domestic and international observers concerned about the law’s registration requirements, appeals avenues and the government’s ability to use it to shut down associations and NGOs. The fourth generation of the law was introduced last month and while markedly different than its predecessors, civil society organizations remain unsatisfied. Of chief concern is that the law still effectively mandates registration for NGOs and associations, despite the fact that a Ministry of Interior official announced in September that registration would not be compulsory.

Chea Sim adviser arrests
Scandal rocked Senate President Chea Sim’s office when four advisers were arrested in September for using their close connections with the senator to defraud at least 51 companies on phony humanitarian and infrastructure projects totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The four high-ranking officials – protocol chief Pheng Kunthea Borey, Lieutenant General Ponlok Ho, Police Lieutenant General Chan Kosal and former Cabinet member Khieu Bora – were tried last month and each sentenced to jail terms of between three and four years, despite denying any allegations of wrongdoing. Some opposition observers believe the case is really a political purge of disloyal factions within the CPP, of which Chea Sim is a member.

Myanmar, Cambodia high-growth investments

Source: Todayonline.com

by Avelyn Ng

Jan 02, 2012

 

SINGAPORE - Myanmar and Cambodia have emerged as high-growth investment destinations, with Myanmar recently engaging high-level Western diplomats, while Cambodia is continuing with economic reforms.

Franklin Templeton Investments said the frontier economies are now in the position that emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China were 20 years ago.

By some measures, Myanmar has had a spectacular 2011. Its endorsement as chair of the Association of South-east Asian Nations for 2014 and a visit from United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last November marked a new chapter, following reforms that have elevated confidence in an economy barely emerging from years in the dark.

Businesses are set to benefit from further reforms, even though Myanmar still carries the weight of trade sanctions by the US and Europe.

Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings, which is deeply entrenched in Myanmar, hopes to tap further growth opportunities there. The company derived about 95 per cent of its half-year revenue ended Sept 30, 2011 from property and other investments in Myanmar.

Mr Andrew Rickards, CEO of Yoma Strategic, said: "The country that was held back in terms of development for the last 40 or 50 years, suddenly tries to reintegrate with the world economy; there's an awful lot of catching up to do. So, the challenges range from basic infrastructure, mobile telephones and Internet access to hotel rooms and getting flights. You can imagine that the whole place is creaking a little bit at the seams as it is suddenly on people's radar for the first time."

However, the question is to what extent the reforms will lead to a substantial improvement in the business environment. With Singapore being Myanmar's fourth-biggest trading partner in 2010, industry leaders say business ties count for a lot.

Mr Ho Meng Kit, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation, said: "In the case of Myanmar it will be more difficult, a little bit more unknown. Then again, there are a lot more opportunities, so for some companies which do have links, the intelligence there, the partnerships, those risks can be managed."

Meanwhile, neighbouring Cambodia is also reforming its ways - although it is more established as an investment centre than Myanmar.

Danish manufacturer Jebsen & Jessen says the ease of doing business is propelling a potential US$650,000 (S$843,000) investment in the country.

"It is small for its population, but very much open in its policy to attract new investors and it is easy to settle down there, it is very easy to build up business relationships," said Mr Fritz Graf von der Schulenburg, executive vice-chairman of Jebsen & Jessen.

Mr Ho also said that Cambodia, a member of the World Trade Organisation since 2004, "represents far lesser risk" and more Singapore companies have been operating there recently.

Franklin Templeton's emerging markets specialist Mark Mobius says these frontier markets are now in their "take-off stage" where self-sustaining development is taking place, thanks to high consumer spending at home.