Hun Sen Says Pay Rise for Civil Servants Impossible

The country cannot afford to further increase the salaries of civil servants such as teachers and members of the armed forces, as to do so would require tax increases—a move that has already sparked protests across Europe, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday. Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Chinese-funded section of National Road 5, Mr. Hun Sen said austere fiscal policies in Spain and Greece had left both countries overrun with protests, and that Cambodia needed to focus on infrastructure instead of public sector salaries. … Speaking with just eight months to go before next year’s national election, Mr. Hun Sen argued that the money simply was not available to pay civil servants more, and that farmers would have to bear the burden by paying taxes—a situation they cannot afford. ….

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