Phnom Penh Municipal Hall plans to create 11 new communes in five districts in the capital to improve social service management, Deputy Municipal Governor Eang Ony said yesterday.

Ony said that as the population grows, some communes are seeing social services dwindle, prompting City Hall to ask the Ministry of Interior to allow it to redraw some boundaries to tackle the issue.

At a meeting yesterday, City Hall decided to split Stung Meanchey, Boeung Tumpon and Choam Chao communes into three communes each. Kabab, Tuol Sangke, Toek Thla, Phnom Penh Thmey and Tonle Bassac communes would divide into two communes each.

“Phnom Penh Municipal Hall will file this request to the Ministry of Interior and it will be checked and decided in the middle of next week,” Ony said.

San Chey, a representative of accountability NGO ANSA-EAP, said he suspected the plan was just a ploy to create more commune council seats.

“I think that the creation of new communes is just a mechanism for sharing seats and it will lead to waste of the national money if there is no careful thinking,” he said.

Phnom Penh City currently has 12 districts, 96 communes and 909 villages. If the Ministry of Interior gives its blessing, the number of communes in Phnom Penh City will increase to 107.