Prime Minister Hun Sen approved the creation of three new districts for Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

Four existing districts are being divided to create the new areas, dubbed Chbar Ampov, Prek Pnov and Chroy Changva.

A sub-decree states that eight communes will be cut from the Meanchey district and given to the new Chbar Ampov district, and the “current Meanchey district office is transferred to Chbar Ampov”.

Sen Sok and Por Sen Chey will have five communes divided to the new Prek Pnov district, while Chroy Changya will have five communes assigned from Russei Keo district.

Phnom Penh City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche told the Post last month that they “want people close to the public services that the authorities provide. If districts are large, they can’t serve the needs of the people. So we have to separate districts to better meet their needs”.

Civil society groups, however, have claimed the division is actually a waste of public resources.