Interior minister Sar Kheng (right) meets with JICA’s outgoing representative Haruko Kamei on March 29. SAR KHENG VIA FB
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng expressed his hopes that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will continue to support the Ministry of Interior in various projects. JICA is currently supporting the ministry in two projects, to enhance the capacity of local administrative officials and in road safety.
During a March 29 farewell meeting with JICA’s Cambodia office chief representative Haruko Kamei, Sar Kheng thanked JICA for helping Cambodia with many projects. He attributed some of the Kingdom’s development to the contributions of the Japanese government and JICA alike.
During their meeting, Kamei noted that 2023 marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Cambodia and Japan and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of JICA’s office in Cambodia.
“This year’s meaningful events are a reminder of the excellent cooperation between JICA and Cambodia over the past decades,” Kamei was quoted as saying in the ministry’s March 29 press release.
It said she appreciated the ministry’s efforts to implement the projects, despite the challenges brought about by Covid-19.
Kamei also discussed the two current projects.
“Under a project to enhance their capacity, local administrative and other civil service officials have undergone training, and exchange visits have been made. The second aims to tackle the complex problem of traffic accidents,” she said.
Sar Kheng said the Japan’s support is strategically important.
“This work has supported the decentralisation and deconcentration reforms and helped administrative officials to perform their tasks more effectively,” he said.
He also told her that the government is making efforts to improve the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) and introduce other measures to reduce traffic accidents, said the release.
“Although the problem is complicated, the NRSC noted that a lot of progress in road users’ understanding had been made,” he said.
Yang Kim Eng, president of the People’s Centre for Development and Peace, told The Post that Japan has organised many development projects in Cambodia and provided assistance in many areas, from roads to health, to education.
“In order for friendly countries to continue to help, with technical assistance and funds alike, the government has to use the assistance transparently and make sure the projects benefit the public,” he said.
“We also need to improve respect for human rights and democracy, because many donor countries regard them as important. The people have the right to express their views. They have the right to offer constructive criticism and offer suggestions for improvements,” he added.
