Government recently said that aggressive steps must be taken to stop the sale of stolen garments in the markets. This has become a serious issue in Cambodia since most traders deal with contraband clothing.
Mr Cheat Khemara, Senior Labour Officer of GMAC told Fibre2fashion, "This has become one of the major concerns for the industry. However, since this network involves a lot of people, the issue needs to be handled intelligently. The major reasons for this illicit trade are the employee thefts at the plants, which not only involve men but also women workers. Employees working with transport facilities may also be involved. Thus, it is very difficult to trace the culprits."
He stressed, "According to statistics from Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) as much as three percent of garments made in factories are stolen. These clothing are then sold in various markets at very nominal price. This is a huge loss for garments manufacturers."
Though Mr Khemara appreciated that the Government was not ignoring this issue, he said that it is a complicated matter and cannot be resolved instantly.