Parliamentarians on Friday continued their debate on a draft insurance law, splitting down party lines over who should benefit from any new policies.
Members of opposition Sam Rainsy Party said requiring motorists to purchase car insurance would benefit large companies and hurt struggling Cambodians.
There already is a “big gap between big companies and individuals,” Sam Rainsy parliamentarian Lon Phon said after the debate Friday. He suggested a government agency should run the insurance business, so as not to offer any company a monopoly.
But other parliamentarians said this would only open the door to corruption. Parliamentarians in the ruling CPP said too much corruption already occurs when officials take bribes and fail to report incidents that could be protected by a good insurance policy.
The CPP members generally supported making automobile insurance mandatory, saying it will reduce traffic and therefore attract more investors to Cambodia. Proposed measures also would encourage the purchase of life and health insurance.
