Government ministries were yesterday urged to continue their efforts in shifting responsibilities towards local authorities at an annual meeting to discuss ongoing decentralisation reforms, reforms one top official called key to the ruling party’s upcoming election hopes.

From garbage collection to school administration, the forum was an opportunity for ministries to discuss their efforts to put more power in the hands of local communities.

Ensuring financial resources were effectively transferred was the most common problem highlighted at the conference.

“This is a challenge we have to pay attention to and solve in order to make the mechanism to transfer finances to the sub-national level [work],” said Leng Vy, under-secretary at the Ministry of Interior.

Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng used the meeting to remind attendees of the political importance of reforming, particularly in the lead-up to the commune elections in 2017.

“If these reforms do not move forward, it can relate to the result of the 2017 election . . . and also have an influence on 2018,” a copy of his speech reads.