Illustrative image (Source: internet) Phnom Penh (VNA) – An official ofthe Chinese Chamber of Commerce has revealed that China mayprioritise fulfilling Cambodia’s immediate demandfor raw materials to enable local factories to continue operating, Khmer Times reported.
Thousands of jobs are at risk andfactories announced suspension in Cambodia becauseof a lack of raw materials caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2).
Officials have estimated that up to30,000 Cambodian garment workers may face job losses if the supply situationdoesn’t improve rapidly this month.
TheChinese official said China is ramping up day-and-night production in allsectors and will do its best to supply the raw materials Cambodia needs to avoid joblosses and factorysuspension.
On February 26, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged ChineseAmbassador Wang Wentian to look into the possibility of exporting raw materialsby air and sea to the Southeast Asian country in order to prevent job losses resulting from asuspension in the operation of garment factories.
The Garment Manufacturer’sAssociation of Cambodia said last month that more than 60 percent of rawmaterials used in garment and textile factories are imported from China, withmany suppliers temporarily halting production and affecting factories in thecountry.
According to Cambodia’sMinistry of Labour and Vocational Training,about 7,000 workers will face lay-offsif the delivery does not resume.If the shortage drags on, about 90,000 workers will be suspended at the end ofMarch./.
VNA
