Background
On 11 March 2026, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology Thor Chetha chaired a discussion meeting at the ministry to strengthen coordination mechanisms and improve the efficiency of the ministry’s public investment management system. The meeting was held within the framework of Cambodia’s Public Financial Management Reform Program and was attended by Pen Thirong, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Deputy Secretary General of the reform program’s steering committee secretariat.
The ministry stated that Cambodia’s Public Financial Management Reform Program is divided into four phases: budget credibility (2004-2008), financial accountability (2009-2015), policy-budget linkage (2016-2022), and performance accountability (2023-2027). The program is currently in Phase 4, which focuses on performance accountability.
Scope of Application
The discussion concerned the internal public investment management system of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology under the national public financial management reform framework. It relates to the ministry’s budget management, financial accountability, information systems, program budgeting, and coordination for public investment management.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The ministry reported that it has identified 24 overall indicators for implementation of the Public Financial Management Reform Program, grouped into five areas.
The areas described in the ministry’s announcement include: continued strengthening of budget credibility through resilient, robust, and predictable revenue and expenditure implementation; continued strengthening of financial accountability through automation and expansion of information technology systems for public financial management; and strengthening the effectiveness of linking budgets to policy through program budgeting, establishment of a public investment management framework, and continued promotion of budget decentralization from national to sub-national level.
The meeting was presented as part of efforts to reinforce coordination mechanisms and improve the effectiveness of the ministry’s public investment management system during the current reform phase.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
This update indicates continued institutional work on budget governance and public investment management within MOWRAM. For businesses, development partners, and contractors engaging with ministry-funded projects, the reference value lies in the ministry’s alignment with the national public financial management reform framework, including program budgeting, accountability systems, and public investment management processes.
The announcement does not set out new legal obligations, penalties, or compliance requirements for private parties. Its significance is institutional and administrative, documenting how the ministry is organizing its internal public investment management processes under the broader reform program.
Official Source
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) Facebook post published on 11 March 2026.
