The governments of Sweden and Switzerland have pledged more than $15 million to the strengthening of sub-national governance in Cambodia from 2015 to 2017.

The agreement was signed yesterday morning by Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng, Swedish Ambassador Anna Maj Hultgard and Swiss Ambassador Rahel Bosch.

The Swiss government will contribute around $7.8 million and the Swedish government roughly $8 million towards Cambodia’s ongoing efforts to redistribute power from the national to the local level.

Kheng, who is also the chairman of the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development, said the grant will enable the program to improve capacity for Cambodia’s district and municipal authorities.

Bosch said she wanted to see democratic decentralisation reforms materialise to “to ensure the equal access to quality services”. She noted that although Cambodia has reduced its poverty rate to 19.5 per cent, many still lack access to basic health services and steady sources of income.