Phnom Penh, March 10, 2020 –The Royal Government of Cambodia has set aside from US$800 to US$2,000 million to respond to the impacts caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
At the graduation ceremony of more than 3,400 students of Vanda Institute here this morning, the Premier said the budget will be used to save the Cambodian economy if the COVID-19 crisis continues for six months or even a year.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen said he had ordered all ministries to reduce their spending by 50 percent, except the Office of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Commerce which have to cut down their expenditure by only 25 percent.
The Royal Government has also reserved US$30 million to supplement health care costs in addition to what stated in the National Budget Law 2020, as well as a certain amount of money in response to the impacts caused by the partly suspension of Everything but Arms (EBA) programme.
Cambodia has so far reported two cases of COVID-19 – one is a Chinese tourist who had successfully been cured and returned to his home country, and the other one is a Cambodia man who has had direct contact with a Japanese man who had been tested positive for COVID-19 after departing from Siem Reap province to Japan’s Nagoya, with a transit in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen agreed with the comment of H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information that if the Cambodian people fear road accidents as much as they fear COVID-19, the road traffic death toll will be reduced.
By C. Nika
