The Royal Government is aiming to increase the state revenue to 18.0 percent of GDP next year, according to the draft Budget Law for 2021.
The draft law was approved by the cabinet ministers in the weekly meeting held Friday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Hun Sen, said Phay Siphan, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Royal Government Spokesperson Unit.
The set figure is less than the target of the state current revenue collection in the Revenue Mobilisation Strategy 2019-2023 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
For expenditure, the cost of employing staff – minimum wage and salaries of civil servants and armed forces – will remain at the same level as that of 2020 in order to save some budget for the fight against the COVID-19 spread which has negatively affected the economy, health and livelihood of people, especially garment and textile workers and employees and informal workers, as well as the poor and vulnerable.
The Royal Government has also planned a budget of 40 billion Riel to allow ministries and institutions to recruit qualified and high-skilled officials. Like last year, the Royal Government reserved a budged of 50 billion Riel for the Health Care Fund for public officials, former civil servants and veterans, and continued to plan, in the Ministry of Health’s budget, 6 billion Riel for the Social Security Fund on occupational risk for public officials to improve the health of civil servants. Heng Panha – AKP
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.