(Video) Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, on the occasion of the official inauguration of National Road 31, National Road 33 and National Road 41 [Unofficial Translations]

CMF: 29/04/2025

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(1) NR 31, 33 and 41 improve connectivity to tourist destinations in the coastal areas and other natural resorts

These three roads – NR 31, 33 and 41 – have become important components in expanding the potential of our southwestern provinces. We have railways, roads, and bridges that are spanning through. All of them are the foundation for bringing investment and creating investment environment in the area […] These three roads are main roads, but we have been building other two-digit national roads (either local or collectors), but some of them are not yet paved […] The three main roads are clean and wide asphalt roads. Hopefully, these roads will contribute to the economy and the living standards of the people here. In addition, they will also increase connectivity to tourist destinations, including coastal areas and other natural resorts. These southwestern provinces are important as they connect between two poles. One pole is the Phnom Penh and Kandal province economy, and the other pole is Preah Sihanouk province […]

(2) The main goal of infrastructural development is to create jobs and promote economic growth

These three roads (NR 31, 33 and 41) will also contribute to increasing potential and creating a network of connections. Who will benefit from that? Firstly, the direct beneficiaries are those living in the provinces. Secondly, the Cambodian people in other areas who come to find work in these provinces. Our main goal is to promote economic growth, create more jobs in these provinces for our citizens […] Organs and limbs have different roles […] together, they help us have the characteristics to move. In a country, it is the same in every province, city, district, commune, and village. Every cell must grow so that the country can grow, not just Phnom Penh […] (Some have claimed that the country has gone poorer) … now, choose anywhere, any district, in any province, and point out to me if this or that village, this case in Takeo province […] compared to the 1980s, there has been no progress. If there is, maybe there is no need for me to serve as the Prime Minister anymore […]

(3) Three major goals set for people – health, knowledge, and job opportunities

Citizens have three needs in life. The state must pay attention to meeting all the three needs. The government has set three major goals in every mandate – firstly, health, secondly, knowledge, and thirdly, job opportunities […] for which we attract additional investment to create jobs, and locate them closer to the grassroots […] The Royal Government has just raised the minimum wage and other benefits for civil servants, the armed forces, workers, […] I just signed a sub-decree to increase the allowance for retirees. Little by little, we think about both – those who are working and those who are retired. The government has not forgotten (about) the living standards of all citizens […] Even though we don’t have much, we create programs to provide more benefits to them. Whenever the state has more, all that will increase. This means that we think about almost everything for the citizens. It is the effort of distributing/sharing the benefits of development […]

(4) Custom revenue surge, more cars and flats/houses sold

Starting the Khmer New Year, we have seen a surge in new car purchases (which indicates that) Cambodians (have improved living conditions). The daily customs/duty, which used to be only around 10 million USD/day, has now recorded almost 20 million (USD/day). A large part of it comes from family car purchases […] meaning that people are stable and having confidence […] whereas the residential project developers said that while last year they sold between six and/or seven houses/flats a month, now they sell up to 20 houses/flats for the same period […] We hope that in 2025 this situation will continue to improve. As of this time, the world doesn’t know where it’s going. From the war with COVID-19, the Ukraine-Russia war – an armed war, and now it’s a trade war, which the world hasn’t seen in almost 100 years, it has created another uncertainty situation […]

(5) Either COVID-19, trade war or impacts of the armed conflicts, the CPP-led government has always striven to save lives, and helped the people’s livelihoods

We trade with all countries. We do not discriminate. We work with every network, and we export all kinds of goods we can produce. We do not rely only on tourism, we do not rely only on industry, we do not rely only on agriculture. We deploy and exploit the country’s potential to reach all sectors and create jobs for people, both in the domestic market and in the foreign market. We continue to move forward […] In the past, despite the war, whether it is the war with COVID-19, the trade war, or the impact of the war in other areas, the Royal Government, led by the Cambodian People’s Party, has taken measures and management to always be with the people and strive to find ways to save lives, help the people’s livelihoods […]

(6) The roads attract investments to provide jobs, which pour millions of dollars into provinces sitting along

Why have we chosen roads as the second priority? It is because the road is the artery that carries blood to all parts of the country, so that the living standards of the people everywhere can be improved […] The cost of building this 200-kilometer new road, as you see, which crosses five provinces, is 188 million US dollars. Along these roads, the economy is poised to grow. There will be more noodle shops, more people travel, the villagers can sell more along the roads. This means that more benefits are going to the people […]

Connecting the road runs the economy, and people find opportunities to create a living, which the economic value will add up to billions of US dollars from their incomes, job and marketing opportunities at the local level, much more than the spent 188 million US dollars […] Where there is a road, there is hope. People can employ creativity, extract economic benefits to their own pockets. The road attracts investment to provide jobs, which pour millions of dollars into Kampong Speu and other provinces. This is the return from investment in the road, which is the second priority of the Rectangular Strategy, now the Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I […]

(7) Cambodia’s public debt management is still at a low interest level

Some people say, “As the loan rose up to the neck, Cambodia is out borrowing money again.” Maybe they can tell us which country in this world doesn’t borrow money? […] What are the sources of income for the state/government in the world? The first source of incomes is from taxes […] The payroll tax base. How many people pay payroll taxes? Very few. In rich countries, if you earn USD 100, the state takes 40%. We collect very little payroll tax […] The second income is from loans […] and one of them is public loans. Countries borrow – either from citizens or from institutions or countries.

For example, rich countries borrow through government bonds or sell government bonds or government securities […] they also borrow from institutions or partners like the IMF, the World Bank, ADB, and/or from partnering countries, with interest […] in such a way that the debt will not be higher than the income you make/earn. If we earn USD 100 but we owe to those sources up to 60 or 70, we would only be able to pay interest, and we are in debt. However, (Cambodia’s) public debt management shows that we are still at a low interest level […]

(8) Spending billions on infrastructure to generate long-term economic benefits

Low-interest/concessional loans of US$ 188 million used to build this 200-kilometer road has helped people living on the road increase their economic activities and earn billions USD in return. This is public financial management […] Every year, we spend billions on infrastructural development. For what? We can’t wait. People in Kampong Speu province, Phnom Sruoch district or Tram Kak district need roads. For example, the NR 71C, people in Tbong Khmum province, Kampong Thmar district, Chamkar Leu district need connections. People in Kratie need bridges. So, in order for us to be able to afford it, we need to explore various measures […] and invest in targets that will generate long-term economic benefits […] Loans from the Chinese government, from Korea, from Japan, from the World Bank, what are called low-interest loans, concessional loans, are never used to pay salaries. We use national money, namely tax money, to pay salaries. Loans are always used to invest in infrastructure, things that help the economy grow […]

(9) Private sector and businesses to take interest in exploiting potential of the roads now and in the future

I am calling on the private sector and businesses to take interest in exploiting the potential of the roads we have built, now and in the future. We are talking about building a transportation system, not just roads. We will (continue to) strengthen the railways, waterways, and (the Funan Techo) canal that pass through these provinces […] Building roads but no people walking on them will not be beneficial. Building roads and no investment comes will not bring us much potential.

The state should continue to encourage the provinces along the roads and related provinces in the Southwest to attract investments, tourists, and not just the provinces, but even each district can also do that […] Please don’t say what is in it for me to attract them. Change the definition from “me” to “my province”. When investors come, do not ask what is in it for “me”. Think about how much is in it for my province and my people in this village. Then, we can set the direction of providing good services. If our village and district grow, we and our families will also benefit […]

(10) “When every cell work, every department work, the province will be strong”

Even though the government has put in place good investment policies and set directions for the province by building roads, if the investors come and find out that the service provision of the governor is not what they expect, they will go to the province where the provincial governor comes to meet them at the factory […] to the place where the district governor gets their demand ready in three days […] this means that only when all cells work, all departments work, all districts work, and public services work, will Takeo province be strong. If each province works, I, who represents Cambodia, will have the strong foundation to talk to and attract (investors). I can guarantee for them that we have a good investment environment […] This mandate will continue for Cambodia to become a place that truly attracts customers/investors. The most favorable investors’ attractors are the locals, because they are the ones who make them come, satisfied, and expand, or stay for a long time, and bring in more of their colleagues […]

(11) Transforming from huts without road access into stone houses with better roads and expanding continuously to the west, east, north, and south

Let us strive to create an environment that is more attractive for domestic investment, foreign investment, in each province and district, to draw benefits from these roads to promote economic growth in the region, and the livelihood of the people […] Let us share the benefits of peace, stability, security, and macroeconomic stability. The benefits of putting in place the right policies through encouraging investment, giving people the right to move around to find work, study, and have opportunities for health treatment […] Transforming from huts without road access into stone houses, wooden houses, tile houses, (with better roads) […] and expanding continuously to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south […]./.