National Assembly (NA) president Heng Samrin (centre) chairs the Standing Committee meeting on October 13. NA
The National Assembly (NA) has set October 14 as the date for the vote of confidence to appoint Dith Tina as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The date was decided on during a Standing Committee meeting an October 13, in the presence of NA president Heng Samrin.
Hun Sen nominated Tina, currently secretary of state at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, on October 8, after King Norordom Sihamoni issued a royal decree stripping former agriculture minister Veng Sakhon from his portfolio. Sakhon has since been appointed as Government Delegate attached to the Prime Minister.
Ung Dipola, head of the energy ministry’s General Department of Mineral Resources, said Tina is a responsible leader who puts national interests and the common good above all else, and is known for being open to the ideas and opinions of specialists and experts in all fields. He expects that Tina will find ways to steer the agriculture sector towards success.
Dipola also noted that Tina, now in his early 40s, has always provided opportunities to his subordinates and provided them with the support they need to succeed.
“He is an honest, friendly man, and the kind of leader who sets an example for the youth,” he said.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, hopes that the new minister will find ways to address the issues facing the Kingdom’s agricultural sector and enable it to thrive.
“What the public want is markets for their agriculture produce, information on the most advanced agricultural techniques, and enough resources – including seeds and water – that they can grow in all seasons,” he said.
“We should not remain in a state of subsistence farming any longer because Cambodia is an agricultural dependant country. Therefore, the industry should be as advanced as possible,” he said.
Heng Chanthuon, secretary of state at the energy ministry, told The Post: “I believe farmers will see their incomes increase under Tina’s leadership of the agriculture ministry.”
