CAMBODIA'S ECONOMY BOOMS, BUT LEAVES MANY BEHIND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 000377 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EEB/ESC/IEC, AND EEB/TPP/ABT/ATP--THOMAS LERSTEN STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR--DAVID BISBEE TREASURY FOR OFFICE OF EAST ASIA COMMERCE FOR ITA--HONG-PHONG PHO AND ELENA MIKALIS, ITA/OTEXA SANTIAGO FOR MICHAEL KELLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KTEX EPET CB SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S ECONOMY BOOMS, BUT LEAVES MANY BEHIND ¶1. Summary. With 13.4% GDP growth in 2005 and 10.4% growth in 2006, Cambodia has managed to become one of the world's fastest growing economies while maintaining low levels of inflation. However, inequality has risen dramatically over the last decade, and Cambodia's narrow economic base -- focused on garments, tourism, construction, and an inefficient agricultural sector -- make it vulnerable to shocks. Oil production expected to begin in 2010 is likely to generate unprecedented government revenues, offering both tremendous opportunities and challenges for economic development and governance. At a recent economic development conference, the Ambassador called on the Cambodian government to prepare for the coming oil boom via new legislation on corruption and information access, revenue management plans that prioritize development, and strengthened regulatory institutions. End Summary. Cambodia Boasts High Growth Rates and Low Inflation . . . -------------- -------------- ¶2. Over the past six years, the Cambodian economy has enjoyed remarkable and consistently high levels of economic growth with low inflation. Cambodia's 13.4% GDP growth in 2005 was one of the highest rates in the world, and participants at the 2007 Cambodia Outlook Conference, held on February 23 and organized by the Cambodia Development Research Institute and the ANZ Royal Bank, expect continued high growth in the future. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates Cambodia's 2006 GDP growth at 10.4% with 3% inflation and forecasts 9% growth and 3 1/2% inflation for ¶2007. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, head of the Supreme National Economic Council, predicts 7-10% annual growth from 2007-2010 and 9-10% growth from 2010-2015, noting that Cambodian oil production is expected to come online in 2010. IMF Resident Representative John Nelmes praised the RGC for its prudent macroeconomic monetary and fiscal policies, which provided a healthy backdrop for economic growth. . . . But Suffers from Rising Inequality -------------- ¶3. Despite the overall sunny statistics, alarm at the growing gap between Cambodia's rich and poor was a frequent refrain throughout the conference. Despite overall poverty rates declining by roughly 1% per year, Cambodia's poorest have been largely left out of the country's economic growth. Over the past decade, Cambodia's richest 20% saw their per capita consumption rise by 45% while the poorest quintile gained just 8%. The gap between rich and poor narrowed in Phnom Penh and stayed constant in other urban areas, but rural areas showed a dramatic increase in inequality. World Bank Country Manager Nisha Agrawal said that the rising inequality was unusual and alarming for a country at this stage of economic development. Today, Cambodia ranks behind Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand in equality of income distribution. Agrawal encouraged the government to improve the poor's access to land and land tenure, diversify existing sources of economic growth, and target services and infrastructure to lagging groups. Garments, Tourism, and Construction Drive Economic Growth -------------- -------------- ¶4. In 2006, total value of garment exports reached USD 2.5 billion, a 20% increase since 2005, with more than 70% of garments going to the U.S. The garment industry employed 330,000 workers -- a 10% increase over the previous year -- who collectively earned nearly USD 300 million. However, both the IMF's Nelmes and ANZ Royal executive Gary Runciman warned that Vietnam's recent entry into the WTO and the 2008 end of safeguards against China are looming threats which Cambodia's garment industry should meet via improved infrastructure and increased labor productivity. ¶5. Tourist arrivals have been growing at 20% per year for the past two years, with 2 million foreign tourists expected in 2007, according to Sok Chenda, Chairman of the Cambodian Development Council. In contrast to their large numbers, each tourist contributes relatively little to the Cambodian economy. The prevalence of imported food and wine, foreign-owned hotels, and foreign-operated tour groups means that the Cambodian economy receives only 8% of tourist PHNOM PENH 00000377 002 OF 003 expenditures in Cambodia. Chenda noted that the government hopes to create more backwards linkages to increase the economic benefit to the country. Agrawal criticized the Ministry of Tourism's focus on increasing tourist arrivals rather than capturing tourist dollars. She warned, "Now tourism to Siem Reap (the home of the famous Angkor Wat temples) is as much a curse as a blessing," and cited rapidly falling groundwater levels, which could cause the temples to sink, as an example. ¶6. Construction is closely related to the growth in tourism, with new hotels in Siem Reap driving much of the sector's growth. However, there is a growing sense that the construction boom is not sustainable; occupancy rates at Siem Reap's hotels are falling as new hotels become operational. In addition to hotel construction, there are 8,000 to 10,000 new apartments being built in Cambodia's urban centers each year. Diversification, Land Insecurity, Oil Revenues -------------- - ¶7. Nearly every speaker warned that the country's narrow economic base jeopardized its continued economic growth. Several described the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors as underinvested and decried land insecurity and vast, unused land concessions as hurting the rural economy. While 70% of Cambodians depend on agriculture for their livelihood, the sector accounts for only 30% of GDP and a paltry 3% of exports. Cambodia's per hectare yields are significantly lower than its neighbors, in large part because only 20% of agricultural land is partially or fully irrigated. The World Bank's Agrawal noted that Cambodia's 57 economic land concessions (ELCs) total 1 million hectares, but more than 80% of the ELCs are idle, tying up valuable land that could be used for agricultural production. She encouraged the government to implement a 2003 decree on social land concessions by canceling non-operational ELCs and reallocating the land to the 20% of rural households who are landless. ¶8. Sectors of the Cambodian economy outside of agriculture offer growth potential as well. Nelmes cited retail, banking, and telecommunications as emerging sectors, while Dr. Naron highlighted electronics, information technology, and food processing as potential areas for growth. Several speakers noted that Cambodia's Special Economic Zones offer an important investment opportunity that should be more heavily promoted. The government should work to reduce major costs like infrastructure, electricity, and port fees in order to promote more investment, Dr. Naron said. ¶9. United Nations Resident Coordinator Douglas Gardner claimed that oil revenue is expected to top USD 1 billion per year within two to three years of the first commercial production of oil expected in 2010. However, Te Duong Tara, Director General of the Cambodian Natioal Petroleum Authority, cautioned that it was very difficult to predict the size or accessibility of Cambodia's oil reserves. This apparent blessing could easily turn in to a curse due to corruption, wastage, and the "Dutch disease" -- uncontrolled inflation that reduces the competitiveness of other industries. The Ambassador and Gardner offered similar prescriptions for avoiding the oil curse: strengthening laws related to revenue management and oversight, promoting transparency and accountability via stronger regulatory institutions and passage of anti-corruption and freedom of information legislation, and prioritizing spending on development priorities and savings for future generations. The Ambassador also encouraged Cambodia to become an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Implementing Country. Comment -------------- ¶10. Like so much in Cambodia, the Cambodian economy offers both tremendous opportunities and challenges. While sound macroeconomic monetary and fiscal policies have helped to provide a good foundation for growth, economic growth so far has owed much to the rapidly growing interest in Cambodia's Angkor Wat temples, the quota system that governed garment PHNOM PENH 00000377 003 OF 003 exports, and good agricultural yields over the past few years. Going forward, Cambodia will need to improve governance and prioritize economic diversification and services for the most marginalized elements of society if its spectacular economic growth is to be sustained and equitably shared. End Comment. CAMPBELL