Inflation Ex-Inflation, Cambodian Style

July 10, 2008 11:45am by

Hey, looks like  we are not the only nation that plays down their inflation rate: In Cambodia, they stopped reporting CPI altogether!

Faced with soaring inflation, Cambodian authorities have stopped publishing its CPI figures. San Sithan, Director General of the National Institute of Statistics, recently told The Phnom Penh Post that publication of the CPI has been halted to avert the possibility of “disorder and turmoil.”

In Vietnam, soaring inflation—now at 27%—prompted strikes earlier this year. In Cambodia, year-over-year prices were up 18% in January, the latest month in which such figures were available. Since then, fuel is up 30%; rice, 50%.

Opposition legislator Son Chhay of the Sam Rainsy Party says Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government is “afraid to present the facts” ahead of parliamentary elections on July 27.

Almost makes the Federal Reserve focus in core inflation look reasonable.

Cambodia

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Source:
Inflation, What Inflation?
Frederik Balfour in Hong Kong
BusinessWeek, July 1, 2008
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/07/0703_retirement_quiz/0703_btw/2.htm

NIS, MoP
Ministry of Planning
http://www.nis.gov.kh/

Farmers turn back to oxen as fuel price rises   
CAMBODIA:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79123

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What's been said:

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  2. Jim Haygood commented on Jul 10

    Silence is preferable to disinformation.

  3. Lay Duck Twat commented on Jul 10

    Well, you see Barry….. It’s kind of a technical issue… It’s a question of being able to keep up with the statistical variations in prices. What we should do is, what they’re doing over in the US and just make up the numbers. We should just publish numbers that suit our agenda.

    Yes sir, that’s the ticket….

    Best regards,

    Lay Duck Twat

  4. phil commented on Jul 10

    Reminds me of Bernanke stopping M3? The head of the Cambodian CB probably took a class or went to school with Bernanke. Oh yes, if they don’t report it, then it doesn’t exist.

    Phil

  6. heather commented on Jul 10

    at least they didn’t claim that pulling the stat was to “save money” or because it was “redundant”.

  7. Sherman McCoy commented on Jul 10

    Dude… Inflation is all just “mental” anyway. You can’t measure MENTAL!!!

  11. Jojo commented on Jul 10

    “Since then, fuel is up 30%; rice, 50%.”

    Stoopid Cambodian’s! All they have to is eliminate food and energy from their inflation calculations. Maybe call the result “Core” inflation? :) Then the numbers will be much lower.

  12. Gwain commented on Jul 11

    Sure, the Cambodians can trade their vehicles in for oxen because they have plenty of pasture. But, for us city dwellers, here in the US, who can afford grain, at the prices they’re getting these days?

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