Prime Minister urges China to import raw materials by air and sea

Prime Minister urges China to import raw materials by air and sea

Prime Minister Hun Sen today urged Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian to look into the possibility of importing raw materials by air and sea to the Kingdom in order to prevent job losses resulting from a suspension in the operation of garment factories.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 174-kilometre-long National Road No. 58 in Oddar Meanchey province, the premier asked Mr Wentian to intervene and figure out possible ways for transporting raw materials used in garment and textile factories to the Kingdom.

“I think an urgent solution among all is that both Cambodian and Chinese aircrafts should be sent out to ship raw materials in order to supply the factories’ demands,” he said. “I believe our Chinese friends can do it and Cambodia side will also work our best as well.”

By doing so, Mr Hun Sen said that both countries may suffer transportation costs but secure labor forces and incomes for garment workers and factories’ production.

Some factories will temporarily suspend operations in Cambodia as a result of the Covid-19 disruption in the importation of raw materials from China.

The Garment Manufacturer’s Association of Cambodia said earlier this month that more than 60 percent of raw materials used in garment and textile factories in the Kingdom are imported from China, with many suppliers temporarily halting production and affecting factories in the country.

According to Ith Sam Heng, the Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, about 7,000 workers will face lay offs if the delivery does not materialise and, if the shortage drags on, about 90,000 workers will be suspended at the end of March.

Source: Khmer Times