NGO says termination of contracts legal, National, Phnom Penh Post
1 of 2
HOME
NATIONAL
BUSINESS
LIFE STYLE
SPORT
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ngo-says-termination-contrac...
COLUMNS
7 DAYS
REAL ESTATE
SIEM REAP INSIDER
Related articles Bokor attack Protesters successful; water prices decrease Internet scam: Scores of suspects sent to China
Sun, 7 July 2013 Mom Kunthear Responding to a protest by 44 former condom-packer employees, Population
Minister highlights rural development
Services Khmer and its once-parent organisation, Population Services
US ‘certifies’ KRT efforts to address International, denied violating the law by ending the packers’ employment last corruption week. Poultry tested at border In a letter sent to the Post last Thursday, PSK and PSI said that they had given the workers all required benefits and had met with them several times
Questions raised over migrant worker death
to explain that their contracts had been ended because of a “change in
Latest Video
product procurement and limited in-country packaging needs”.
2013 road rally Contact author: Mom Kunthear
0
Comments
Mon, 8 July 2013
Ninety-three riders take their Please, login or register to post a comment machines from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville in Cambodia's biggest motorbike rally.
Angkorian harp reborn Thu, 27 June 2013 800 years after it disappeared the "pin" is plucked from extinction
This month 20 years ago... Fri, 2 July 1993
Legacy of the 10th Dancer Fri, 18 June 1993
Chakrapong-led Secession Collapses Fri, 18 June 1993
U.N. Rejects SOC Call for Poll Review Fri, 18 June 1993
Thai Generals Deny Special Ties with KR Fri, 18 June 1993
Archives at Toul Sleng imperiled Fri, 18 June 1993
Molinaka Looks to Play Swinging Role
Company
Supplements
Sections
About us
7Days
Business
Advertising
LIFT
Lifestyle
Contact
Real estate
National
Twitter Facebook
Post Media Co Ltd 888 Building F, 8th Floor, Phnom Penh Center Corner Sothearos & Sihanoulk Blvd
Google +
7/12/2013 5:21 PM
Bribes remain rampant: survey, National, Phnom Penh Post
1 of 2
HOME
NATIONAL
BUSINESS
LIFE STYLE
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bribes-remain-rampant-survey
SPORT
COLUMNS
7 DAYS
REAL ESTATE
SIEM REAP INSIDER
Related articles IRI survey finds Cambodian majority optimistic over future Most think fight against corruption a losing battle Corruption remains problem, but democracy just fine: poll Government disputes corruption survey findings Kingdom ranks high for graft More graft, more govt support: TI
Bar graph of people's experiences with bribes. SOURCE: TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
Migrant worker study reveals mass stigma
Latest Video 2013 road rally Mon, 8 July 2013 Ninety-three riders take their
Wed, 10 July 2013 Justine Drennan
machines from Phnom Penh to
DESPITE facing a rampant graft problem that has seen Cambodians paying
Sihanoukville in Cambodia's biggest
bribes far more often than their regional neighbours, they have growing faith
motorbike rally.
in the government’s ability to fight it, a Transparency International survey has
Angkorian harp reborn
found. TI’s 2013 Global Corruption Barometer, which measures perceptions of corruption in 107 countries, found that half the 1,000 Cambodians surveyed in the past year thought corruption in Cambodia was decreasing, and only a quarter thought it was increasing. In 2011, by contrast, only 30 per cent of Cambodian interviewees thought corruption was decreasing and 43 per cent believed it to be worsening, Preap Kol, executive director for TI Cambodia, said at yesterday’s press conference on the survey.
Thu, 27 June 2013 800 years after it disappeared the "pin" is plucked from extinction
This month 20 years ago... Fri, 18 June 1993
Lessons in Foreign Aid
“We think perceptions changed because there were more arrests of corrupt
Fri, 2 July 1993
officials,” Kol said, noting, however, that perceptions about corruption and
More Wine S'il Vous Plait
reality do not necessarily correspond.
Fri, 18 June 1993
“According to our experience, when an anti-corruption campaign begins,
A Hill-top Prayer for Peace
people are hopeful, and they have trust, and the [country’s] score increases
Fri, 2 July 1993
very quickly,” he said.
Trade Firm Links With Freight Line
This year, 57 per cent of Cambodian interviewees, who were randomly
Fri, 18 June 1993
AIDS Poses Grave Threat to corruption were effective, and only 15 per cent said they were ineffective, with Cambodian Economy selected from across the country, said the government’s actions against the rest neutral. “But if the government cannot meet people’s expectations very quickly, the
Fri, 18 June 1993
Roving Reporter
[rating] will decrease in the next few years,” Kol warned. Indeed, although 81 per cent of Cambodian respondents said they believed ordinary people could make a difference in the fight against corruption, and about the same proportion said they were willing to report corruption and mobilise against it, the survey revealed serious shortfalls when it came to individuals addressing corruption in practice. Fifty seven per cent of Cambodian respondents said they or someone in their household had paid a bribe in the past year, a proportion significantly higher than the 36 per cent or less reported in each of the other five Southeast Asian
7/12/2013 5:10 PM
Bribes remain rampant: survey, National, Phnom Penh Post
2 of 2
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bribes-remain-rampant-survey
countries surveyed – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Moreover, 51 per cent of Cambodians said the most common reason for paying bribes was “as a gift, or to express gratitude”, compared with less than 25 per cent of respondents in the other five countries. “In Cambodia, there’s a confusion between gift and bribe, while in other countries a bribe is [paid] to speed things up,” Kol said. Meanwhile, 77 per cent of Cambodians who said they would not report an incident of corruption gave the reason as: “I am afraid of the consequences” – an answer given less than half the time in all other Southeast Asian countries but Malaysia. “We think that Cambodia and Malaysia are similar in that way because they have the longest ruling governments,” Kol said, arguing that the long-standing concentration of power in both countries made it more difficult to call out corruption in government. He added that Article 41 of Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Law, under which someone making unfounded accusations of corruption could be prosecuted for defamation, is a threat to whistleblowers, and recommended amending the law to protect those voicing concerns. ACU president Om Yentieng and spokesman Keo Remy could not be reached for comment. Contact author: Justine Drennan
0
Comments
Please, login or register to post a comment
Company
Supplements
Sections
About us
7Days
Business
Advertising
LIFT
Lifestyle
Contact
Real estate
National
Privacy policy
Siem Reap
Sport
Refund Policy
Insider
Twitter Facebook
Post Media Co Ltd 888 Building F, 8th Floor, Phnom Penh Center Corner Sothearos & Sihanoulk Blvd Sangkat Tonle Bassac 12301 Phnom Penh Cambodia Tel: +855(0) 23 214 3 11-17 Fax: +855(0) 23 214 318
Google +
Special reports
Copyright © 2013 The Phnom Penh Post. All Rights Reserved. Web design by IConsulting
7/12/2013 5:10 PM
Tax revenues rise, but aren’t reflective of overall GDP growth, Busines... http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/tax-revenues-rise-aren’t-refle...
1 of 2
HOME
NATIONAL
BUSINESS
LIFE STYLE
SPORT
COLUMNS
7 DAYS
REAL ESTATE
SIEM REAP INSIDER
Related articles Tax revenues increase by 22.9 per cent Tax revenue sees a 27 per cent jump Wed, 10 July 2013 May Kunmakara
Insurance premiums on the rise
While the country’s tax revenue grew about 20 per cent in the first half of this
Criticism for Cambodia’s tax revenue
year compared to the same period in 2012, experts say the amount still isn’t
Gov’t revenues rise 11 pct
high enough to accurately reflect the country’s GDP growth.
Inflation rate inches up 1.6%
According to data from the General Department of Taxation, total tax revenue
Tax revenues on the rise
in the first six months was $470 million, compared to $388 million from January through to June last year. As for the different sources of the total,
Latest Video
salary tax revenue went up 24.8 per cent, income tax jumped 28.6 per cent, Value Added Tax [VAT] increased by 12.2 per cent, and special tax, referring
2013 road rally
to items such as cigarettes and entertainment, went up by 17.5 per cent.
Mon, 8 July 2013
The report also listed the increase in tax collection by industry. When
Ninety-three riders take their
compared with the first six months of 2012, the largest this year, by far, was
machines from Phnom Penh to
the education sector, which went up 124 per cent. Tax revenue from
Sihanoukville in Cambodia's biggest
Cambodia’s largest export industry, the garment sector, rose about 42 per
motorbike rally.
cent, while consumer products added nearly 38 per cent. Hotel and questhouse revenue rose by roughly a quarter.
Angkorian harp reborn
Keat Chhon, the Minister of Economy and Finance, repeated an explanation stepped up efforts to make collections and had improved the quality of their
Thu, 27 June 2013 800 years after it disappeared the
work. He did, however, add that the tax department still lacked efficiency.
"pin" is plucked from extinction
for previous increases in the last several months, that tax officers had
Stephen Higgins, former CEO of ANZ Royal bank ,said that country’s nominal GDP growth was probably about 11 per cent over the same period, “which
This month 20 years ago...
would suggest the government overall hasn’t managed to increase revenues as a proportion of GDP, which is a little disappointing after the progress they seemed to make last year”. “The International Monetary Fund has been pretty clear that what they call revenue mobilisation, or lifting the tax take, needs to improve. Corruption is a factor, but also building up capacity and capability in revenue raising areas is important,” he said in an email message. “Improving and streamlining
Fri, 2 July 1993
CPP Demand Risks Dead-lock Fri, 2 July 1993
Plan for Chamber of Commerce Fri, 2 July 1993
Murders of party officials continue
customs would make a big difference, and is something that most businesses
Fri, 18 June 1993
would want to see,” he added.
AIDS Poses Grave Threat to Cambodian Economy
Hiroshi Suzuki, CEO and Chief Economist of the Business Research Institute for Cambodia (BRIC), said in an interview last month that beefing of tax collection is not a quick fix, and other countries face the same problems. “The improvement of taxation is not an easy job. Many developing countries, not only Cambodia, have been tackling this issue. I hope both the
Fri, 18 June 1993
Training Defenders of Human Rights Fri, 18 June 1993
Men and Animals
government and donors will continue their efforts on this issue for Cambodia,” he said. Lawmakers from the Cambodia National Rescue Party consistently claim that the government loses about $500 million every year via its poor tax collection and corruption. Last year the government collected $740 million, according to the department’s official data. Cambodia’s economic growth is forecast at 7.2 per cent in 2013. The Asian Development Bank said it could pick up to 7.5 per cent next year once economic recovery in Europe and the United States takes hold.
7/12/2013 5:23 PM
Managers Taught How to Spot Underage Labor | The Cambodia Daily
1 of 1
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/managers-taught-how-to-spot-un...
Managers Taught How to Spot Underage Labor By Simon Lewis - July 10, 2013
Staff at eight factories producing footwear for Japanese sportswear brand ASICS were trained Tuesday in how to make sure they are not employing child laborers, a company representative said. ASICS corporate staff have been in Cambodia this week in a bid to overcome the negative publicity generated when a ceiling at Wing Star Shoes, an ASICS-producing factory in Kompong Speu province, collapsed in May, killing two workers and injuring 11 others. The collapse was followed by claims that staff at the factory, including one of the victims, were under 15, the legal minimum age for workers. Yesterday, about 25 people, including administrative staff from Wing Star Shoes and seven other factories, attended a training session held at the offices of the U.N.’s International Labor Organization (ILO) in Phnom Penh, according to George Yoshimoto, manager of the corporate social responsibility sustainability team at ASICS. Mr. Yoshimoto said while the company did not know the true age of one victim of the collapse, Sim Srey Touch, ASICS wanted to address the broader issue of underage labor at all its factories here. “It’s important for us not to have child labor. Its a big issue in the country,” he said. The training was also part of ASICS’ move to have all of its factories monitored by the ILO’s Better Factories Cambodia program, since before the collapse, not all were part of the voluntary program, he said. Jill Tucker, chief technical adviser for Better Factories Cambodia, said that the training provided Tuesday was regularly given to staff at other factories in the program. “It’s about how to prevent recruiting underage workers,” Ms. Tucker said, explaining that the problem could be addressed by carrying out rigorous checks on documents and conducting interviews with workers before they were hired. “It is very, very common for workers to use an ID that is not their own. It is a real ID, it might be their sister or their cousin, but it’s not their own,” she said, adding that IDs or family books were also often manipulated, with dates of birth altered. © 2013, The Cambodia Daily. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in print, electronically, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without written permission.
7/12/2013 5:17 PM
Citizens See Cambodia as One of the Most Corrupt Countries | The C...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/citizens-see-cambodia-as-one-of-...
Citizens See Cambodia as One of the Most Corrupt Countries By Denise Hruby - July 10, 2013
Cambodians perceive their country as one of the world’s 10 most corrupt countries, and the most corrupt in Asia, with nearly 60 percent of citizens surveyed by Transparency International (T.I.) this year admitting to having paid a bribe over the past 12 months. According to T.I.’s Global Corruption Barometer for 2013 released Tuesday, which is based on interviews with roughly 115,000 people across 107 countries only citizens of Yemen and seven African countries such as Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Mozambique found their country to have more graft than Cambodia. “Our neighbors are already several steps ahead in fighting corruption and the paying of bribes,” said Kol Preap, executive director of T.I. Cambodia, at the launch of the report in Phnom Penh. In Cambodia, 57 percent of those questioned said they or someone in their household has paid a bribe to police, the judiciary, NGOs, media, business, military, political parties or other authorities in the past year. Across Southeast Asia, Cambodia’s judiciary was the only one perceived as equally as corrupt as the police force. Sixty-five percent of those who admitted paying a bribe reported paying it to the police and the judiciary over the past 12 months, according to the report. “At the court, at every layer there is a fee. Submitting the case with the clerk, registering the case, there is a fee that’s not determined by law so it’s considered a bribe,” Mr. Preap said. “Going through the court, there is no chance of getting away without corruption.” Mr. Preap noted that the actual number of citizens who pay bribes was likely to be much higher than the report suggested because many people simply see making informal payments to the government as a way of “expressing gratitude.” According to the report, 15 percent of Cambodians interviewed had paid a bribe as it was the only way to obtain a service. That figure compared to 23 percent of respondents in Malaysia and 26 percent in Vietnam. Under Cambodia’s anti-corruption statute adopted in 2010, paying “facilitation” fees to government officials is punishable by between five and 10 years in jail. The new law also makes foreign companies operating here liable under bribery laws in their own countries. Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, dismissed the report and said the creation of the anti-corruption law and the formation of the Anti-corruption Unit was proof of the government’s commitment to fighting graft. “Cambodia is proud to fight against corruption…and we have done much and installed mechanisms to fight corruption,” he said. “We are on a good track…corruption happens everywhere in the world. I will not listen to a report [that shows] bias against Cambodia and the CPP.” Worldwide, more than 80 countries found that corruption was getting worse. However, Cambodia was among 11 nations whose citizens sensed an improvement, according to the report. © 2013, The Cambodia Daily. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in print, electronically, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without written permission.
1 of 1
7/12/2013 5:16 PM