The Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Administration held an April 10 meeting to examine the possibility of establishing capital-provincial committees to implement One Window Service (OWS) mechanisms at the commune level, noting that several developed countries employ similar services.

At the meeting, director-general of the department Prak Sam Oeun reminded the attendees that the service has been implemented at the commune level only in Battambang province.

“The department, with the support of the World bank, is working to expand the service throughout Cambodia,” he said.

“The government has issued a sub-decree on the establishment of OWS offices, in order to consolidate administrative services in one place, and make it simpler for people to access them,” he added.

Oukchay Panhara, deputy director-general of the General Department of Identification (GDI), said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, who is chairman of the National Steering Committee for Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identification, ordered the GDI to conduct an evaluation of the 500 qualified communes where it proposed opening OWS offices.

In March, Sar Kheng encouraged all provincial-capitals to support the OWS mechanism at provincial, municipal, district and commune levels to enhance people’s trust in the system.

OWS, according to Sar Kheng at the time, was well-liked and supported by consumers since it reduced red tape and eliminated corruption from the process of requesting services from governmental bodies.

“These systems and procedures, both online and digital, have long been in use in developed nations,” he said.

The OWS system creates a centralised location administrative services that are offered in one place, making it straightforward, quick, transparent, accountable, and dependable. Commune chiefs will be in charge of the commune level OWS offices, with commune clerks serving as staff.