Prime Minister Hun Sen during an event ahead of the 137th International Labour Day, in Phnom Penh on April 23. SPM
Prime Minister Hun Sen has appealed to local authorities to work harder to provide people with public services, thereby encouraging them to put aside hard feelings they may bear.
He made the appeal as he met with over 3,000 people, including trade unions officials, civil servants, teachers and representatives of the informal economy on April 23 at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh, prior to the 137th edition of International Labour Day, which falls on May 1.
In an April 23 social media post, the premier said he had asked that local authorities find more effective solutions to people’s issues.
“I urged them to arrange as many out-of-court settlements as possible. When court action occurs, it becomes very difficult to find a win-win solution,” he said.
He also urged the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training to improve protections for migrant workers, in order to shield them from abuse.
In addition, the premier renewed his calls for people to participate in the preservation of peace. He appreciated the growth and development of Cambodia to date, and expressed his pride in the peace that the Kingdom now enjoys.
“The peace of modern Cambodia is the basis for its current growth,” he said.
“I also called for more participation in protecting security, social order and the continuation of the successful implementation of the safe village-commune policy. This includes efforts to fight the trafficking and use of drugs, gambling of all kinds and a reduction in traffic accidents,” he added.
Hun Sen pushed for efforts to maintain the stability of macroeconomic growth and contain inflation.
“All state institutions should spend sparingly, and tax evasion must be eliminated, in order to generate more revenue for the nation,” he said.
He also called for action to address the livelihoods of the poor, especially those who were vulnerable to the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.
“We must protect the most vulnerable members of our society. No one should die of starvation,” he said.
The prime minister urged the labour ministry to step up human resource training in the formal and informal economic sectors, noting that the government would pay for the training.
“We need to create jobs for people in the formal and informal economies, while improving the social protection we offer, especially to mothers and young children,” he said.
On the upcoming biennial regional multi-sports events, he said: “As of April 23, we are 12 days away from the opening of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games. I ask that you all do your utmost to ensure the events go smoothly, so that the guests we will host will return in the future,” he added.
He also called for July’s parliamentary election to be held in a free and fair manner, with no undue pressure on any members of society regardless of their political affiliations.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said public services at the grass roots level are the most common dealings most people have with the government, so it is important that the public perceive them as fair.
“If the local authorities provide these services in a conscientious way, then society will remain orderly. If the public are unhappy with their local authorities, they may perceive to leadership of the government in a negative light,” he told The Post on April 23.
“Whether this is reasonable or not, the government must take partial responsibility for this. If one local official behaves poorly, it is a blot on the government,” he added.
