PHNOM PENH: During his speech at the inauguration of the new administration building of the General Department of Customs and Excise on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that the Royal Government of Cambodia had supported nearly 3 million people by spending more than US $30 million per month during the Covid-19 crisis.

He added that this amount of spending was not including what the government has provided to hospitals. He also said that in 2021, the tax and customs revenue of Cambodia will be more than US $4 billion. While this revenue is much lower than before the pandemic, he said that it has been able to help Cambodia control the expenditure because the Royal Government has efficient economic budget management.

At least 680,000 poor households, with a total population of around 2.7 million, continue to receive monthly stipends from the Royal Government, while other social assistance programs continue to receive subsidies during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now lasted for more than two years.

The types of social assistance programs receiving subsidies from the Royal Government include cash programs for pregnant women and food programs for children in schools. The total amount of aid provided by the Royal Government to Cambodian citizens during the crisis is estimated to be around US $2.3 billion.