PHNOM PENH: In its vision to make Cambodia a high-income country by 2050, the government is as invested in development as ever. Its new Pentagon Strategy provides a roadmap for the direction the country will take under Prime Minister Hun Manet. Today, the PM met with his Council of Ministers to discuss the roles health and education will play in Cambodia’s development.

Speaking to the Council, Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted that people are an important economic and social asset that cannot be overlooked. He said that his administration will prioritize their health and education as a way to build human capital for a robust economy.

"If we do not have people who are healthy, educated and of good character, our ambitions are just a dream that cannot come true," he said.

For this reason, the government has identified education and health as priority areas to address the challenges that have hindered Cambodia in the past. He hopes that creating a healthy, well-educated and moral public will help fulfil the Kingdom’s vision of becoming a high-income country by 2050.

Education Minister Hangchuon Naron and Health Minister Chheang Ra also contributed to the discussion.

The government aims to upgrade its current low-middle-income country to a high-middle-income country by 2030 and become a high-income country by 2050. To this end, the government has identified a number of key policy areas, including human resource development, health, agriculture and social affairs.

Cambodia is currently a low-middle-income country which, according to the World Bank, means the average annual income of a person is between $ 1,036 and $ 4,045. By 2030, Cambodia aims to bring the average income to between $ 4,046 and $ 12,535 per year. If it achieves its vision, the average income will be $ 12,536 or more per year by 2050.