Pricey petrol punishes poor

20 August 2012
The Phnom Penh Post
Economy and commerce / Energy / Extractive Industries / Extractive industries policy and administration / Imports / Non-renewable energy production / Oil and gas resources / Trade / Unions
Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU) / energy / Fuel / Gasoline / increased petrol prices / NGOs / oil / Petrol price / PTT Oil Company / Rong Chhun

Petrol prices have jumped by 150 riel (US$0.03) a litre, much to the dismay of Cambodia’s poor, as NGOs appealed to the government to take action. … Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU), issued a letter dated August 16 appealing to Prime Minister Hun Sen to take action to lower fuel prices below the current price of 5,650 riel a litre for super and 5,450 riel for regular. … Bin May Mialia, commercial manager for the Thai-based PTT Oil Company, said there were three factors leading to increased petrol prices in Cambodia: instability in the Middle East, where most gasoline is produced; natural disasters in Asia, such as those in China and the Philippines; and the drought in the US, which has affected the raw materials needed to produce ethanol to mix with gasoline or diesel, thus increasing demand in the US as well. …

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