The government this week released its first National Poverty Reduction Strategy, a document in which ministries outline their goals for development for the next three years.
The plan is a requirement of the World Bank and marks the culmination of more than three years’ combined efforts of government ministries, NGOs and other consultative groups.
The strategy focuses on reforms in the banking and justice sectors, improvements in agriculture and transportation, strengthening health care and education, and reforming corrupt institutions. Gender equality, family planning and environmental resource management are also high on the government’s agenda.
World Bank representative Steve Schoenberg said the fact that many of the strategy’s goals will be carried out through programs already in place will ensure some level of success. “That should mean progress,” he said.
Results in such uncharted territory as anti-corruption legislation, however, are less assured. “In terms of reforms, we’ll have to wait and see,” Schoenberg said.
The government is due to present a progress report on the strategy toward the end of the year.
Ian Porter, World Bank country director for Cambodia, said in a statement that the goals set out in the strategy were high. “While the challenges of implementing this ambitious reform agenda remain significant, we believe that the Strategy represents a significant step forward for the government,” he said.
The government recently announced that as well as being its first Poverty Reduction Strategy, this would also be its last: Future plans will be merged with the five-yearly Social and Economic Development Plan, which is next due in 2005.
Schoenberg described the document as the product of unusually high levels of consultation with workers and experts employed in the development field.
“The strategy’s components were designed by the employees of government ministries, NGOs and labor unions,” he said. “There was broad consultation.”
