Part 151

Economy - overview: The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working relations with international financial institutions. Growth, starting from a low base, has been strong in 1991-96. Despite such positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough challenges because of the persistence of internal political divisions and the related lack of confidence of foreign investors. Rural Cambodia, where 90% of about 9.5 million Khmer live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural areas over the near term. Moreover, the government's lack of experience in administering economic and technical assistance programs and rampant corruption among officials will slow the growth of critical public sector investment. The decline of inflation from the 1992 rate of more than 50% is one of the bright spots.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.4% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $710 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 51% industry: 14% services: 35%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 5% (1996 est.)

Labor force: 2.5 million to 3 million by occupation : agriculture 80% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $261 million expenditures: $496 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Industries: rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 7.9% (1993 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 100,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 180 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 17 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Exports: total value: $464 million (1996 est.) commodities: timber, rubber, soybeans, sesame partners : Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia

Imports: total value: $1.4 billion (1996 est.) commodities: cigarettes, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles partners : Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia

Debt - external: $1.9 billion (1994)

Economic aid: recipient : ODA, $NA note: international donors pledged a total of $1.8 billion in 1995 and 1996

Currency: 1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

Exchange rates: riels (CR) per US$1 - 2,723.0 (January 1997), 2,624.1 (1996), 2,450.8 (1995), 2,545.3 (1994), 2,689.0 (1993), 1,266.6 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Cambodia:Communications

Telephones: 7,000 (1981 est.)

Telephone system: service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public domestic: NA international: landline international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 5