Phnom Penh (FN), Feb. 20 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed that the Royal Government is not facing a financial shortage. On the contrary, not only does it have sufficient funds, but it is also capable of increasing the salaries of civil servants and the armed forces while expanding social protection services.

The premier spoke on Thursday (Feb. 20) at the opening of the Cambodian Social Protection Week 2025 and launching of the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2024-2035 at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel.

Samdech Thipadei underlined that although the Royal Government has carefully planned the national budget by balancing expenditures and revenues, some have falsely claimed that the government is running out of money due to increased spending. He clarified that the budget has expanded primarily due to population growth, improvements in people's livelihoods, and salary increases for civil servants, with the largest portion allocated to social assistance programs.

Samdech Thipadei underscored, “Millions of people require increased assistance—not because we are spending on warships or fighter jets, but because the funds are being directed toward the people themselves. This is why our budget is growing—to support civil servants, the armed forces through salary increases, and crucial investments in infrastructure for the people. Income has declined compared to the pre-COVID period. Why? First, our economy has not fully recovered to its pre-pandemic levels. Second, we have significantly reduced taxes that would otherwise burden the people. Many private sectors, including private universities, agriculture, and tourism, have been granted tax benefits, allowing more money to remain in the hands of the people. Some may question whether this means the state is losing financial control. The answer is no.”

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet continued, “Recently, the Ministry of Social Affairs faced a slight delay of about a week, and immediately, rumours spread that the state had run out of money. I want to reaffirm that the government is financially stable. Not only can we sustain current spending levels, but in 2024, we will also increase salaries for civil servants and expand social protection programs. There is no financial crisis, and there will be no delays in our commitments.”
=FRESH NEWS