PHNOM PENH, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government on Thursday set the new monthly minimum wage for the country's multi-billion-dollar garment and footwear sector at 153 U.S. dollars for next year, up 9.2 percent from the current 140 U.S. dollars, Labor Minister Ith Samheng announced.
The announcement was made after the Labor Advisory Committee (LAC) voted on a minimum wage of 148 U.S. dollars for 2017, which was then upped an additional 5 U.S. dollars by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
"Today we decided on 148 U.S. dollars and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen added another five U.S. dollars, so the monthly minimum wage for the garment sector is 153 U.S. dollars for 2017," Ith Samheng told reporters.
"I think that this figure could not meet 100 percent of the requests from each side; however, it is better than what we have before," he said.
The new wage takes effect on Jan. 1, 2017.
