Villagers in Battambang province this week said commune officials there have been charging them prohibitively high fees for birth certificates.
The villagers of Battambang district said Wednesday they felt discouraged after they were ordered to pay from $1.25 to $3.75 for certificates for themselves and their children.
The certificates should only cost villagers about 500 riel for the paper, Ministry of Interior Director General of Administration Department Sak Setha said Thursday.
The income generated by the certificates is intended for the development of the communes, he said. He said he advises commune council officials not to charge much more than 500 riel.
“It is too much money for me,” said Srey Manith, 38, who claimed Wednesday that officials were charging so much money he couldn’t afford to purchase his own birth certificate. “How could I afford it?”
Roeun Raksa, 27, said he was ordered to pay $3.75 for his certificate because he needed it for employment.
Another villager Rath Buon, 47, said she paid $2.50 for her certificates on Tuesday and paid a total of $12.50 for certificates for her five family members.
Battambang provincial Governor Prach Chan, on Thursday, said overcharges usually hover around 1,000 riel. He said he was unaware of the large overcharges, but will investigate.
“Commune council officials are allowed to take a few riel, but not so much money,“ he said.
Sometimes commune councils, which are a few years old, might negotiate with the villagers for extra charges for the certificates, he said.
A birth certificate is one way people can verify their citizenship for a planned civil registration drive, which aims to register all Cambodians later this year, Ministry of Interior consultant Paravinder Singh said Thursday.
(Additional reporting by Jennifer Collins)
