PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Manet said that the Cambodian government does not only work when things are good, but that it helps people in all circumstances and never abandons them.
He said this in the official announcement for guidelines regarding social assistance programs for impoverished families and emergency response on December 5.
The Prime Minister said that for more than 40 years, the CPP-led Cambodian government has been with the people through the liberation from the Khmer Rouge to natural disasters, the global economic crisis and Covid-19. Through this the government has developed policies to help people.
"Our Royal Government does not only act when things are good, but also when it is difficult. We can’t abandon the people," he said. "But as a government that has been proactive over the past 40 years, we have been through many things including the struggle for national liberation, national unity and helping the people."
He added that his administration will continue to adhere to the principle of improving the social welfare system.
Minister of Social Affairs Chea Somethy stated that the announcement of the two national program frameworks today is in line with the National Social Protection Policy 2016-2025 and based on the lessons learned from the national social assistance program in the past. The program will incorporate some existing aspects of the old program into the new one.
"On behalf of the leadership and civil servants of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, I am committed to fulfilling this mission with a spirit of ownership, innovation, accountability, transparency and high efficiency to ensure the successful implementation of these two frameworks," he said.
One of the frameworks include guidelines on social assistance within the family package aimed at helping vulnerable families to receive strong social support. The other will provide systematic protection to people affected by risks such as natural disasters, economic crises and public health.
The PM stressed the need for such updates to make it easier to provide widespread coverage throughout the country by delegating clear responsibilities, ensuring long-term resilience, and promoting participation and benefit without compromise or discrimination.
The government says it has spent $1.3 billion on social assistance programs since 2019 including cash support for pregnant women and children under 2 years of age, families in poverty, victims of Covid-19, natural disasters and inflation.
