Cambodia raises minimum wage for garment industry amid COVID-19 outbreak hinh anh 1Garment workers leave their factory for lunch in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Photo: Xinhua)

Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodian Labour Minister Ith Samheng on September 10 announced the new monthly minimum wage for the country’s garment and footwear industry at 192 USD in 2021 from current 190 USD, although the sector has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minister said Prime Minister Hun Sen decided to increase the minimum wage next year, and it will take effect on January 1.

The garment and footwear industry is the nation’s biggest export sector, employing about 750,000 people in approximately 1,100 factories and branches. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, some 120 factories still suspended their operations, affecting around 50,000 workers, he said.
 
The Southeast Asian country saw a 5.4 percent drop in the garment and footwear exports to 3.78 billion USD during the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, according to government data.
 
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health reported all of the 274 COVID-19 patients had recovered, and the country has detected no new cases since the end of August./.     
       
VNA