Cambodia Archives - Economy Watch

Are there Strings Attached to Cambodia’s Chinese Aid?

In a 2006 speech, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen praised China, saying that ‘China talks less but does a lot’. China is certainly doing a lot in Cambodia, becoming the country’s largest aid donor and source of foreign investment.

Between 1994 and 2013, Chinese investment in Cambodia was about US$10 billion, focused mainly on agriculture, mining, infrastructure projects, hydropower dams and garment production. Since 1992, China has also provided around US$3 billion in concessional loans and grants to Cambodia.

Economic Land Concessions Risk Cambodia’s Future Food Security

Conflicts over land and natural resources remain the most contentious issue in Cambodia today. Since the early 2000s, large swathes of land have been allocated by the government to domestic and foreign investors in the form of economic land concessions (ELCs).

International financial institutions, US and European multinational corporations, and both state-owned and private companies in neighbouring Asian countries have been implicated in bankrolling, acquiring and operating ELCs.

To What Degree is Cambodia Corrupt?

Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is doing two things quite effectively. The first is rigorously investigating opposition party leader Kem Sokha for extramarital dalliances and promises of gifts to his mistresses.

The second is ensuring that the sons of Om Yentieng, the head of ACU, have secure jobs within the government. Meanwhile, four ministers who were charged anonymously with nepotism, misuse of funds, misuse of government vehicles and overpayment for purchased items have been cleared of all charges.

U.S.: World Bank’s Decision to Re-Enter Cambodia Questionable

The United States is accusing the World Bank of failing to learn from past mistakes and asserting that Cambodia is violating human rights. The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors voted to approve four projects in Cambodia and to loan the nation $130 million in support of those projects.

Cambodia Needs to Reverse its Race to the Bottom on Rule of Law

When the World Justice Project published its rule of law index last year, Cambodia came in at 99 out of 102 countries surveyed, ahead of only Afghanistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. This ranks Cambodia lower than any of its ASEAN peers — even Myanmar achieved better scores.

World Bank May Vote to Lift Punitive Ban on Funding to Cambodia

Five years ago, the World Bank decided to freeze lending to Cambodia in protest of the government’s practice of forced evictions for public projects. The World Bank may vote this week to remove this ban, effectively allowing it to resume lending money to the nation to continue a project for landless families that has experienced major funding shortages.

Youth Will Be Served in Cambodia’s Next Big Election

Cambodia’s 2013 election was characterised by both the growing engagement of young voters and by numerous instances of collective violence. How will these developments impact Cambodian politics in the lead-up to the 2018 National Assembly election?

Cambodian Citizens Want to Throw World Bank out of Phnom Penh

Once welcomed for its financial aid, the World Bank is now feeling like a persona non grata in Phnom Penh. This week, current and former residents of the Boen Kak neighborhood in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh pelted the World Bank’s local office with raw eggs, demanding the bank withdraw from the nation.

Cambodia Leaves Developing Nation Status Behind

Cambodia has been hailed for its accomplishments in meeting its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets in 2015. The recent UN report calls Cambodia an ‘early achiever’ performing particularly well on poverty alleviation. The Cambodian economy grew on average 7.8 percent in 2004–2014, achieving one of the fastest growth rates in the world during this period.

Are Cambodia’s Special Economic Zones the Way Forward?

Cambodia’s special economic zones (SEZs) are attracting new investments that enable the country to participate in global value chains (GVCs). The zones are still small, but hold great potential.