• Khmoeb Mekong Civilization
• 19 May, 2026

The government plans to eliminate three general departments and 30 departments across various ministries to improve efficiency, cut spending and modernise the state system for the digital era, Prime Minister Hun Manet said.

Mr Hun Manet made the remarks yesterday at the inauguration of the General Department of Taxation headquarters in Phnom Penh.

The Ministry of Civil Service has reviewed 16 ministries and institutions for reform or cuts, Mr Hun Manet said. This would cut red tape as well as improve response to public needs. He added that the restructuring would continue across other state bodies to boost human resource management and lower expenditure.

He said public administration reform is a work in progress that was initiated since the start of the government mandate.

In response to criticism over the restructuring of state institutions, including the Ministry of National Defence, Mr Hun Manet said reforms based on the principle of “shrinking the head and expanding the body” do not mean sidelining officials to replace them with favourites.

Instead, the elimination of certain departments and offices is intended to streamline overlapping responsibilities. Conversely, some institutions, including the General Department of Taxation, have created specialised units focusing on digital systems and artificial intelligence to adapt to modern technological demands.

“We have a clear mechanism,” Mr Hun Manet said. “We create a department not because we favour a particular person, and we abolish a department not because we dislike someone or because officials are incompetent, but to improve work efficiency through adjusting procedures, responsibilities, work systems and adaptation.”