City starts hotline for residents’ complaints
PHNOM Penh City Hall has created a hotline for residents to lodge complaints about problems in their neighbourhoods.
Khun Vanna, from the city’s human resources department, said 10 officials would field citizens’ concerns and then send a report to the relevant authorities.
“Their job is to . . . intervene in all the problems as quickly as possible when the people call for intervention about something bad happening in their location,” he said. Potential concerns worth alerting authorities about could include fires, potholes, gang and drug activity, domestic violence, pollution and corruption.
According to Vanna, the hotline would alleviate pressure on his department, which citizens often call to complain about inactive local authorities.
He said that 20 candidates had submitted applications for the positions since the announcement was published on Monday, with a February 15 deadline.
According to Vanna, candidates must have at least a high school degree, must be between 20 and 40 years of age, cannot have committed a crime and should be “gentle and sociable”.
A leaked public opinion poll conducted in 2016 showed serious concerns about drugs and crime, the most pressing issues for the government to address among those surveyed, next to corruption and agriculture prices.