The government is set to provide a 50,000 riel ($12.50) bonus to roughly 500,000 civil servants and contract officials for the Pchum Ben festival in September, totalling $8 million.
According to a letter to civil servants and contract officials from the Ministry of Civil Service, the ministry will automatically include the bonus with the regular salaries of civil servants and contract officials.
This offer is made in accordance with sub-decree No. 41 dated March 19, 2021, on the provision of bonuses for Khmer New Year and the Pchum Ben festival in 2021.
“The payment of this bonus on the occasion of Pchum Ben is to be implemented at the same time as the payment of the second salary in September 2021,” the letter said.
Civil service ministry spokesman Youk Bunna said last week that though the government was faced with many problems due to Covid-19 it still considered ensuring the livelihoods of civil servants, retirees and those who had contributed to the provision of public services both at the national and sub-national levels a matter of vital importance.
“During the forthcoming Pchum Ben festival, we plan to spend $8 million for civil servants, the armed forces, contract officials, retirees and commune councillors. The government will also provide the bonus to families of veterans, people with disabilities and the deceased who are registered in our system. In short, they total about 500,000 people,” he told The Post.
Transparency International Cambodia executive director Pech Pisey said last week that the bonus was good for the civil servants, but prudence and caution with spending by the government was also very important because a lot more money would probably need to be spent to get through the Covid-19 crisis.
