The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation handed out cash to more than 670,000 poor and vulnerable families from October 25 to November 24.
The period covers the first phase of the third round of assistance for families impacted by Covid-19.
Meeting with a government attorney group on November 25 at the Peace Palace, Hun Sen said: “We have a burden to help poor people. There is an increase up to over 670,000 families, consisting of three million people. We have released nearly $200 million in total to assist poor and vulnerable people.”
Hun Sen said it was lucky the government had over $3 billion surplus, $150 million of which went to the construction of 38 roads in Siem Reap province.
“Cambodia is not a rich country, but we have a way of managing, controlling and paying for state affairs.
“We will continue to make these payments for November and December. If the Covid spread is not over in December, we will keep going. We have prepared enough money for 10 months. We were spending $20 million a month. Now, we are spending over $30 million a month to provide to poor people,” Hun Sen said.
A report released on November 25 from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation and seen by The Post said poor and vulnerable people who were victimised by Covid-19 were divided according to different targets – downtown in Phnom Penh, the city suburbs and the countryside. A total of $30 million was spent on 674,146 families classified as Levels 1 and 2.
Social Welfare Department director Chhour Sopanha the second phase of the third round will go until December 24, 2020. The programme will consist of 703,592 families and $31.93 million will be paid out.
“No one has disguised themselves as poor. People have cards. Those who reach better living standards have their cards removed from them,” Hun Sen said, adding that no one had yet been caught forging documents.
