Samdech Dekchor: “If There Is No Improvement in Alleviating Poverty, Those Who Succeeded in Moving out from Poverty Should not Fall Back into Poverty

Samdech Dekchor: “If There Is No Improvement in Alleviating Poverty, Those Who Succeeded in Moving out from Poverty Should not Fall Back into Poverty Again” – Wednesday, 8.7.2009

Posted on 8 July 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 620
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: The Cambodian prime minister, Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen, said that what is important during the global financial crisis is to avoid that those who have overcome poverty fall back into poverty again.

“Samdech Dekchor said this during the closing ceremony of a national forum on ‘Food Security and Nutrition under the Topic: Social Safety Network in Cambodia’ on the evening of 7 July 2009 at the Intercontinental Hotel.

“Samdech Dekchor said that Cambodia made efforts to reduce the poverty rate from formerly more than 40% to more than 30% in 2007. But the global financial crisis, which affects the economy of Cambodia, challenges our goal to lower the poverty rate by more than 1% per year. Another problem is whether those having passed over the poverty line might fall into poverty again. ‘This is what we have to try to prevent from happening so that they do not fall back into poverty again.’

“Samdech Dekchor considers that this national forum is very important, and it is a timely response to the global economic and financial crisis which is affecting Cambodia and the world.

“Samdech went on to say that the Royal Government knows this challenge well and has continuously taken flexible measures to prevent, and deal with any possible problems from the serious global crisis affecting the economic, financial, and social situation of Cambodia.

“Samdech continued to say that the government is strongly committed and vows to solve different negative impacts derived from the economic and financial crisis which is at present spread all over the globe. The Royal Government strongly adheres to the policy to strengthen economic activities to move ahead with sustainability and to create a social security system to save and assist vulnerable groups and communities through different mechanisms, such as emergency food, the provision of social assistance funds, and the creation of a budget to be used especially for skills training and professional education for the citizens, and particularly for the workers.

“Samdech Dekchor mentioned the efforts in the field of agriculture which help to withstand the economic crisis, while the garment sector and tourism are affected, as they are vulnerable sectors under the present hazards. Therefore, diversification in farming must be practiced, and the supply of water must be ensured, to encourage agricultural expansion.

“Also, Samdech encourages to give land concessions to Cambodian citizens who lack land, and he hopes for the the development of villages along the border from battlefields into development and investment areas. Samdech said that the government has spent more than US$600 million to build up infrastructure in the border regions. Therefore, this has to lead to real development, the purpose was, of course, not to crease better roads for monkeys living there.

“Samdech added that the Royal Government understands this challenge and has continually taken action to prevent possible bad impacts from this serious global crisis on the Cambodian economic, financial, and social conditions.”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.17, #4940, 8.7.2009
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Wednesday, 8 July 2009