(1) Covid-19 raises the poverty rate from below 10% in 2017 to 17%
This priority policy program was initiated in the sixth legislative term by Samdech Techo, the former Prime Minister, and now Chairman of the Supreme Council of the King. Since we ended the war, we have been proud that our country has developed in all areas. In that, the living standard of our people has improved, whereas the poverty rate has been gradually reduced. Over the past 15 years, the poverty rate, which was more than 47 percent in 2007, has, in 2017, been reduced to below 10 percent. But the phenomenon of the Covid-19 increased (the poverty rate) back to more than 17%. This data confirms that although many of our people have progressed from poor to middle class, and some have been able to reach a higher standard of living, we must recognize the fact that there are still poor people, particularly, at the time when we have the phenomenon of the global economic environment, because of which, it would not be possible to sustain people’s livelihoods […]
(2) Four years ago, the Covid-19 crisis and global economic inflation affected the lives of Cambodians
The video clip has just confirmed. In just four years, the world has experienced recurring problems. The first is the Covid-19 crisis, which affects social life, people’s health and people’s lives. Later we have problems caused by the war in Europe and now the war has spread to the Middle East and elsewhere. Even in ASEAN, there is (tension) in Myanmar. In addition, the crisis caused by the challenge of global economic inflation affects Cambodia. This is because our economy today is not an isolated or fragmented economy. We integrate with the world economy. What affects (the world) can directly affect us. In this sense, […] in principle, the Royal Government continues to raise high the spirit of “not leaving anyone unattended.” The Royal Government does not act only when it is easy, and when it is difficult, leave the people. As a pro-active government, in the past 40 years, there has been a history of the struggle for national liberation to national unification and assistance to the people […]
(3) Social protection policy programs respond to Kovid pressure 19 floods, global inflation
In the past, the Royal Government has introduced a series of social protection policies. As stated in the report by HE Chea Somethy, Minister of Social and Veterans Affairs, the program we have organized has helped many people, especially in response to the pressures and phenomena such as Covid-19, floods, inflation pressure and other rising problems created by global inflation, and various occurring problems. The Royal Government of the 7th legislative term is committed to the principle of strengthening and making more effective the social protection system, ensuring consistency and timely resolution for the people, especially the people who need social assistance […] today, we announce the priority three […] in six priority policies and five key measures […] to promote (provision of) benefits to the people. Ensuring economic growth, creating jobs, especially ensuring equity means that the benefits of economic growth, the benefits of strengthening the economic base of the Royal Government are to be distributed to the people, especially to intervene directly to those in need in all forms. We have put in place a lot of policies to help the private sector, to help civil servants, and to help workers, and farmers […]
(4) Establishing social protection system, preparation of long-term, resilient, inclusive, and comprehensive coverage advanced preparation
Today, we set out specific policies and programs to implement the establishment of the institutionalization of social protection systems. Why do we need to organize like this? […] In the past, we have made a number of interventions that in some places they were fragmented because (we had to respond) to changing situations that required immediate resolution. Sometimes we had no plans. No one planned for Covid-19 to happen in 2019, nor did anyone plan for wars in Europe and the Middle East. When all that happens, we have no choice. We have put in place a lot of protection policies (depending on the situation required). Establishing a social protection system is necessary to ensure efficiency, long-term preparedness, so that leadership can solve problems eventually with a system that we are prepared in advance, resilient, inclusive, and with comprehensive coverage […]
(5) To step-by-step withdraw and end the Covid-19 aid program, a mechanism must be set up to help people who still need help
In this regard, the Royal Government has established a number of mechanisms, such as the National Council for Social Protection and the Social Security Regulation of the Social Security Fund. We have also set out the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2016-2025, which is a comprehensive and effective social protection system. The Royal Government is drafting a national social protection policy framework as a vision for 2030. It means to think in the long-term framework […] to ensure the concentration of leadership to solve problems […] some programs such as helping people affected by Covid-19, etc. cannot continue forever. The Covid-19 pandemic is over. However, the needs of some people affected by Covid-19 continue and the economic recovery and livelihoods are still not strong, along with the needs of the people affected by various changes. Therefore, even if we have to step-by-step withdraw (and eventually) end the program for the Covid-19 affected people and families, we need to set up a mechanism to help people who still need this assistance […]
(6) Think and try to find ways regularly to ensure that the Royal Government does not leave the people
We have not yet been able to reduce poverty to zero percent. Nor can we guarantee that the world will be different and not affecting social life. No one can make (predictions). If the world could have known in advance that there would be no floods, no crises, no wars, no problems related to the life of society (then) we could (have made a) plan. However, we think of the approach that “we hope things will get better, but be prepared when the situation is bad”, especially to have a consistent plan to help people. Therefore, the announcement of the policy program and the program that implements the two documents […] is an important element in the priority policy of the institutionalization and strengthening of the long-term (social protection) system to ensure benefits for the people. For more or less, the Royal Government does not abandon the people. We will perform according to the ability of the Royal Government and the national budget. It is important that we think regularly and try to find ways to ensure that the people feel comfortable that the Royal Government does not leave them unattended […] This is an important task. We have to deal with and intervene for a short time, but cannot guarantee help forever.
(7) The Royal Government is not able to feed the people forever, except for the people who are physically unfit or do not have favorable conditions to ensure their own stable (livelihood), such as the elderly. For the people, especially the youth, we need to connect the rescue in the short term, build a base for them to strengthen the ability (to be) a driving force. Therefore, the implementation of key measures as well as policies set out with interfaces aims to connect, in particular, to implement effectively and fundamentally […]./.
