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(1) Number of workers ups on the ground, getting income directly and many more get benefits indirectly
The largest number of workers I had met in the past was more than 10,000 people. Today, it is over 30,000. In this area, we have an increasing number of factories […] This is the true development of the country. Samdech Techo organized the establishment of this site, which can be considered as Samdech Techo’s child. Last month, His Excellency President Xi Jinping (of China) returned for a visit to Cambodia for the second time. So, today, we come to inaugurate the progress of the achievements we have made together. This is not only an increasing number on paper, but on the ground. Particularly, this income increase has gone into the pockets of tens of thousands of citizens, who have benefited directly from it, and many more (who have benefited) indirectly, such as families. We will continue to do more to help […]
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(2) Taking “either cabbage or beef” to stimulate national economy for jobs and better salaries
Recently, as the US and China were negotiating trade deals, there were some who criticized and accused the Cambodian government of “picking cabbage (and not picking) beef.” I once said in Kampot, “Cambodia takes everything, regardless of which country it is, whether it is cabbage or beef, whether it is lobsters, prawns or shrimps, or fruit.” In this special economic zone, of course, it is initiated by the Cambodian and Chinese governments, but there are also factories and enterprises coming from the US, France, Europe, and other countries (to invest) here […] The world cannot be separated from each other. Cambodia has no need to pick and choose who or reject who. We welcome all of them. For what? For our own health […] which is the national economy that provides jobs and livelihoods of the people. We are attracting investments, whether from the US, China, Japan, or Europe, taking all of them. Fruits and vegetables are in our bodies so that we can stimulate our national economy, create jobs, help boost the salaries of our brothers and sisters […]
(3) Policies set out on health, social protection and training not only for job and income, but also protection of rights
The government has put in place policies on health, social protection, maternal and child health, and training for people to have better skills […] not only to find work, not only to increase (income) here, but also to prepare laws to protect rights, allow unions, employee representatives, to join with the government, the Ministry of Labor (and Vocational Training), to solve problems if there are disputes, etc.; to organize and issue NSSF cards for when workers are sick, both from occupational hazards and health care. The cost of transportation and standards of the cafeteria in the place to be clean have also been taken into account.
Thought has been given to the baby. When a woman gets pregnant, the government provides additional support and care until the child is two years old. During the delivery, 400,000 Riel is offered for one child, and 800,000 Riel for twin […] If you look at history, this area also recorded fighting. The former Khmer Rouge used to raid here and burned the Bit Trang commune building and school in 1990. Today, we can come and sit in safety and peace, and factories and jobs are working on their owns. In this week, I went to (areas where fighting used to take place) […] Veal Veng (of Pursat) was a place of bloody fighting, and Aural too was a bloodshed fight area […]
(4) “Negative points recognized, but there are positive points too”
What had happened in the past is one thing. At present, we are here today together to happily welcome more achievements. Let us engage all partners, and encourage investment in the country, issue new policies in response to the people and workers/laborers, who provided trust and opportunity for the CPP, to lead and serve the people for many terms. In 2023, the Cambodian People’s Party scored a landslide support and continued to serve them. Nothing is perfect, brothers and sisters. We recognize the negative points, but we also have many positive points. The presence of more than 33,000 people in this place did not happen by chance, but because of the policy laid out by Samdech Techo, the former Prime Minister, and the Chinese leadership, who selected this location in 2008 as a special economic zone, so we have more than 30,000 people working here. It is here because of our hard work [..]
(5) Continuing growth of SEZ helps strengthen Sihanouk province as the second economic pole
The continuous growth of this special economic zone is a cell of strengthening the Sihanouk province, the second pole of our economy after Phnom Penh, which is the first pole. We are connecting infrastructure by strengthening the railway, building the Funan-Techo canal, building the National Road 48, the National Road 10 to connect to the economic pole 5, preparing a master plan to promote (development by) coastal provinces, especially Sihanoukville, and strengthening the port so that more ships can come and dock in Cambodia, which will result in reducing transporting/shipping costs […]
Our port is now 11.5 meters deep. We are dredging it further […] Gradually, by completing the first stage (of waterway dredging to container terminal), it reached 14.5 meters deep, which will allow 93% of ships to come in, and by 2030, we will be able to receive ships from all over the world. They no longer depend on other docking places […] On the 18th (of May), a ship from Wu Xi Port, in China, has been shipping goods directly to Cambodia. Previously, it could not do that […] This means that direct goods shipping is possible now to and from China, which, firstly, is saving time – 7 to 10 days; and secondly, reducing the cost of transportation from Wu Xi to Sihanoukville by 20% to 30% […]
(6) Let us make “Kampong Som” the name of one city
It keeps being miscalled Kampong Som province. Now, in order not to lose the name “Kampong Som,” (we) create another Kampong Som city. Keep the original name. Previously, Preah Sihanouk province was called Kampong Som province. Now, so that both are not lost, let’s use “Kampong Som” as the name of one city. However, our province will not remain the same. Our city will not remain the same. If peace is maintained, economic stability is maintained, and if we still have the right and sustainable policies, each province and place will continue to grow […]
(7) The government has put 178 million USD into the pockets of the people
The fact that we have 1.8 million workers across the country is not a small number […] Sitting here are 30,000 people, who have to support many more hundred thousand people. As a worker, a man or a woman supports his/her children, parents, and even traders in the market because you have to buy vegetables and fruits from the market. You are not working at the factory, while growing rice yourself? So, workers feed farmers and feed fishermen. This process is like the government has put 178 million USD in the five economic zones into the pockets of the people here […]
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(8) Successive policies laid out to transform coastal provinces to become a strong engine of growth for the national economy
(The Minister of Labor and Vocational Training,) HE Heng Sour briefly described the results of our successful implementation of the 10 key recommendations […] I don’t need to repeat them […] Even if it’s a small frog-jump step, as long as we jump forward, not jump backward, and jump in the right direction, and we don’t jump to death (we are making progress). It’s not easy to attract investment and create trust. We must take care of it, ensure it, and continue to make more achievements […]
We must be proud of what we have done and together take care of and create more for our nation and people, especially in the field of labor, namely our workers and employees […] However, for Preah Sihanouk Province, the government has put in place successive policies. Now, we are considering transforming this place from a mechanism in the planning of special economic zones or other special trade zones, so that in the future, Preah Sihanouk province and all coastal provinces can become a strong engine for the national economy to grow better in all sectors […]./.