Newly appointed Minister of Tourism Huot Hak (left) stands with Minister of Inspection Sok Soken (right) during an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Cambodia, held this morning, September 20. The two exchanged portfolios, following a unanimous vote by the assembled lawmakers. National Assembly
The National Assembly of Cambodia convened an extraordinary session this morning, where a vote of confidence saw Minister of Inspection Huot Hak exchange roles with Minister of Tourism Sok Soken.
Analysts suggest that it is too early to determine whether Hak’s appointment will improve the sluggish recovery of the Kingdom’s tourism sector.
This morning’s session saw all 106 members present vote unanimously in favour of the exchange, which was proposed by the government.
Prime Minister Hun Manet, who attended this morning’s session, took to social media to wish both ministers well.
“Congratulations to His Excellency Huot Hak and His Excellency Sok Soken, who have been granted the confidence of the National Assembly as the Minister of Tourism and as the Minister Inspection, respectively,” he wrote.
According to the National Assembly, the prime minister emphasised that this adjustment aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the government in serving the country and its people.
Notably, no explanations for the transfers have been offered. In the past, some media outlets have reported internal tensions within the tourism ministry, although the ministry has consistently denied such reports.
Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute of Democracy, said he was unsurprised by the change, noting that adjustments to the composition of a cabinet often occur during the first year or two of a new government, generally in response to the situation on the ground, or the demands of operational effectiveness.
He added, however, that transferring ministers from one ministry to another may not be effective if there are no changes in the way work is carried out.
“The main thing that is required is changes to methodology, to achieve better results,” he said.
Thourn Sinan, president of the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association (PATA) Cambodia, shared his belief that the cabinet reshuffle is part of the prime minister's responsibility to manage his government according to current circumstances.
He noted that the challenges facing the tourism sector in Cambodia today are complex, and everyone needs to courageously reflect on their weaknesses, accept them and seek opportunities to improve on them.
“If we do not acknowledge our shortcomings and continue to shout that we are strong, we are capable, we have everything and we are better than anyone else, we will continue to struggle without realising it, and become even more rigid day by day,” he said.
“Regardless of which minister or individual has previous achievements or experiences, it is essential to recognise the realities of what is happening. When we analyse ourselves to identify our strengths and weaknesses, we must set politics aside for a moment and not let them interfere. Once we identify our strengths and weaknesses, we must work to transform our weaknesses into opportunities,” he added.
Chhort Bunthang, a cultural relations, tourism and education research officer at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, remarked that it is too early to assess whether new minister Huot Hak can improve the tourism sector or whether former minister Sok Sokhen performed well, as there is insufficient data.
“In my view, the first year of a new government is a phase of organisation, refinement and internal structural design. Furthermore, this new government emerged following the Covid-19 crisis and many current global crises. All these issues make it difficult for us to assess whether a minister has performed well or poorly,” he said.
He noted that both the previous and current governments have undertaken numerous positive actions, such as introducing the open sky policy, improving the quality of tourism products – in collaboration with the private sector – and enhancing some services that were previously criticised.
“If the minister changes, does the ministry's structure change as well? If the structure also changes, then there's no need for anything else, just take the time to manage the reshuffle,” he said.
“Moreover, we should consider the challenges have occurred over the past year. The new minister must gather information from within their own ministry and consult relevant stakeholders to find out why the tourism recovery appears stagnant or slow, or what challenges led to the ministerial reshuffle.
“If we do not identify the problems, we cannot resolve the issues. Even if we change ministers ten times, we will not find solutions,” he added.
