(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a firm directive prohibiting ministries and state institutions from allowing private operators to provide services on government premises when those same services are already offered by the state.

Speaking at the inauguration of Luang Mè Hospital on Wednesday (Sep. 16), the premier underlined that state facilities must remain fully under government management, with public employees focused on delivering state services during official hours.

The directive follows his rejection of a private proposal to develop facilities and medical equipment at a state hospital under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement.

“State facilities must remain 100 per cent under state management because they are where government policies are implemented and where the state bears responsibility,” Samdech Thipadei said.

“This principle applies to healthcare, education and every other sector. Therefore, I ask both domestic and international investors interested in using state premises to establish privately run services, whether fully managed by a private company or through any form of private-sector cooperation, not to pursue such arrangements. We will not approve them.”

While ruling out private service operations within government facilities, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet encouraged investors to work with the state by developing services at separate locations, helping expand public access and complement government capacity.
=FRESH NEWS