Impacts of Labor Regulations on Japanese Businesses Discussed
Recent years has seen increasing foreign direct investment by Japanese in Cambodia due to the country’s liberal investment policy, regional connectivity in supply chain, improving transport and logistics, and young labor force, among other favorable investment conditions. Yet, like the situation in many other countries in Asia, rising wages, including minimum wages, is an issue of mounting concern for Japanese businesses in Cambodia.
In respect of Cambodian labor market policy and regulations, a myriad of issues were discussed between Mr. Sok Lor in his capacity as Secretary General of CAMFEBA and a team of Japanese researchers: Mr. Kozo Kagawa, Emeritus Professor of Kobe University and Osaka Jogakuin University; Mr. Ken Kitazawa, Deputy Senior Research Officer of the International Affairs Department of the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training; and Mr. Kenichi Kumagai, Advisor to Japan International Labour Foundation. Topics covered during the discussion, which took place at Sok Xing & Hwang offices on 05 October 2017, were diverse, extending across the methodology of minimum wage setting and impacts of minimum wage on investment environment, the recent developments and effects of the trade union law, and the latest developments in industrial relations and businesses’ views and stance relating thereto.