PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that Cambodia does not aim to expand its budget for defense and security but will instead expand it for the development of human resources.

On Thursday morning, 19 January 2023, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the three areas that can transform a society to be prosperous are education, social affairs, and health.

"There is really an increase [in the budget] to some extent, which is a good investment for the people and their health," he said.

He stressed that the 2023 national budget serves the people.

The government plans to spend 39,206,205 million riel in 2023, equivalent to more than US $9.8 billion, which is an increase of 13% compared to the 2022 budget. More than US $5.7 billion will be spent on civil servant salaries and more than US $4 billion will go into investment and debt repayment.

According to the 2023 Financial Policy, nearly US $10 billion will be spent on four major sectors: general administration, national defense, security and public order, social and economic.

The Ministry of Education will receive the largest budget, with nearly US $1 billion. The Ministry of Health will receive over US $700 million. The Ministry of Defense will receive nearly US $700 million, similar to the Ministry of Public Works. The Ministry of Interior will receive over US $560 million and the Ministry of Social Affairs will receives more than US $367 million.