Cambodia Implements Further Administrative Reform: Senior OfficialThe core affairs of the administrative reform of the second mandate of the Royal Government from 1998 to 2003 is to implement the decentralization policy and the election of commune/sangkat councils, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said Tuesday.He told a donors community meeting held here that "the objective of decentralization is to improve the efficiency of services delivery at provincial and district levels, and to focus the central ministries on their strategic missions rather than on operational activities". At the donor community meeting in which representatives from the European Union, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and foreign diplomats participated, Sar Kheng said that democracy is being reformulated in Cambodia to allow broad participation from citizens in decision making that affects their lives. The reform will be undertaken quickly in order to promote good governance and quality of life for local people. He stated that the law on commune/sangkat administrative management has been proclaimed for official use by Royal Decree No NS-RD 0301-05, dated March 19, 2001, establishing commune/sangkat and commune/sangkat councils. He declared that the election of over 1,600 commune/sangkat councils in the country must be held on Sunday, February 3, 2002. The deputy premier called on international community and donor countries to give Cambodia technical and financial assistances, and other supports in the process of administrative reform. He also appealed to all civil servants, all levels of ministries and institutions to take part in the implementation of the decentralization policy and adopt new attitudes to the implementation of local democracy. |
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