Tuesday, April 10, 2012
| (Photo: Samorn Heng) |
A group of civil society organizations in Cambodia warn of disorder if the government does not intervene.
2012-04-09
Radio Free Asia
A consortium of 20 civil society organizations petitioned Cambodia’s parliament Monday, demanding intervention to reduce the cost of gasoline in the nation, and warning of country-wide demonstrations if nothing is done.
The price of gasoline in the impoverished nation reached 5,950 riel (U.S. $1.49) per liter (0.26 gallons) Monday from 5,200 riel (U.S. $1.30) in May last year, which the groups said was far higher than that in neighboring countries. The cost of gas was 4,500 riel (U.S. $1.12) per liter in May of 2010.
The Cambodian prices are much higher than those among immediate neighbors Laos (U.S. $1.10), Vietnam (U.S. $ 1. 05) and Thailand (U.S. $1.27), fueling smuggling of gasoline into Cambodia to cash in on the price difference.
Phuong Sovann, president of the Government Civil Servant Association, which signed the petition to Cambodia’s National Assembly, said the high cost of gasoline could be attributed to a lack of competition in the country’s petroleum industry.
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