In a recent public appearance, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng urged all relevant authorities to persistently apply the safe village-commune policy, highlighting its potential to provide local people with substantial benefits, including quick and transparent public services.
This call to action was made during the opening ceremony of the new school building of Prek Narin Secondary School in Norin commune in Battambang province’s Ek Phnom district on July 13.
Sar Kheng insisted that both national and sub-national officials remain steadfast in supporting the government’s policies.
He said that would bolster peace, security, public order and development, especially at the grassroots level.
“In our pursuit of better public service delivery, it’s not only one ministry that has to play its part, but all national and sub-national ones,” he said.
He outlined that this mission involves a variety of public services, from issuing number plates and business permits to identity cards and other official documents.
The minister revealed that the government has begun to delegate powers and resources to the sub-national level, thereby enhancing their capacity to provide improved public services.
For 2024, primary and kindergarten management would be shifted to town and district administrations if the ruling party-led government were re-elected for the next five-year term, noting that Battambang province has already been piloting this transfer since 2019.
“I requested the government, in my role as chairman of the National Commission for Decentralisation and Deconcentration Reform, to issue a sub-decree to Battambang province to this effect,” he said.
“This empowers district and town level administrations with the management of primary and kindergartens, setting a precedent for expansion to other parts of the country,” he added.
Sar Kheng believes that the successful pilot programme in Battambang province will pave the way for a nationwide rollout by 2024. He sees the management of primary and kindergartens as strategically critical to human resource training.
Yang Kim Eng, president of the People’s Centre for Development and Peace, agreed that decentralisation is key to the success of the village-commune policy. He noted that various working groups had been assigned to its implementation.
“To ensure effective implementation of this policy, we must empower the sub-national level and reinforce their capacity,” he said.
He added that there had been positive results in the past when commune and police chiefs implemented the policy. These include the successful delivery of public services and reducing crime rates.
“Authorities should learn from those experiences and resolve any issues they encounter. This way, they can implement the policy more effectively,” he said.
