Prime Minister Hun Manet addresses workers in Kandal province’s Takhmao town, just outside the capital, on September 1. HMN
Prime Minister Hun Manet has instructed any ministers who have yet to delegate responsibilities to the leadership, secretaries and undersecretaries of state of their ministries to complete this task within the week.
The instruction was issued in his September 3 audio message to the ministers, more than one week following their appointment.
Manet highlighted three essential tasks. First, ministries with unclearly defined responsibilities must finalise their roles within the week to ensure the sustainability of both leadership and ministry operations.
Second, a clear separation between political and technical leadership roles is necessary to maintain institutional and operational efficiency, while avoiding direct interference in the work of technical units.
Third, it is crucial to ensure the sustained and stable performance of the institutions.
“This should be seen as an effort to foster unity, solidarity and coordination of labour within public administration institutions, with a clear focus on enhancing work efficiency,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of consolidating the institution’s capacity by bringing together both experienced and new officials.
He cited the adage “Young people are strong but old people know the way” to illustrate the benefits of this approach.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institution at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, pointed out that slow progress in dividing duties and responsibilities may be due to ministers needing time to thoroughly evaluate the qualifications of their newest secretaries and undersecretaries of state.
“It has been exactly 10 days since the August 22 formation of the new government. The allocation of responsibilities to ministry leaders should have already been arranged to ensure sustainability, efficiency and quality in the functioning of ministries and institutions,” he said.
“Another factor to consider is the need to prevent internal issues, especially because many of these institutions are led by young leaders. Delaying the allocation of responsibilities could potentially result in mental health challenges, job instability and work congestion,” he added.
“As we are aware, certain institutions have a considerable number of new appointees. In addition, the newly appointed ministers will require time to assess the experience, capabilities, seniority and qualifications of their officials, ensuring that the division of responsibilities is not only effective but also aligns with the knowledge, skills, ethics and professionalism of the officials,” he explained.
