International donors will more carefully monitor how financial assistance to Cambodia is used in light of recent revelations of fraud and mismanagement at the Cambodian Mine Action Center, a member of the German Parliament’s commission on development aid said Sunday.
Norbert Blum, who formerly served as Germany’s minister of labor and social affairs, said donors should continue to fund demining activities in Cambodia, but keep a closer eye on how funds are spent.
“Demining itself is absolutely necessary,” Blum told journalists at the Hotel Le Royal. “We’ll continue to give money. But a consequence of [the scandal] is that we will check more closely, much more closely, how this money is spent.”
The turmoil at CMAC cost director general Sam Sotha his job. International donors, including the Australian, US and British governments, have informed CMAC additional reforms are necessary for the flow of aid to continue. CMAC receives more international funds than any other government institution.
