NCDD sets budget for operations, $1.8B in ’24

THE National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD) have approved a $1.8 billion budget for 2024, and have prepared their action plan for the year. This year’s focus, it announced, will be on strengthening local development, accountability and the improved provision of public services.

In addition, capital and provincial administrations will now have the power to make decisions on investments which involve capital of no more than $5 million.

The decision was made during their 22nd meeting presided over by Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, who serves as head of the NCDD. Held on January 9, the meeting was attended by 150 officials, including ministers, ministry leadership, and the heads of the capital and provincial administrations.

A January 9 NCDD press statement said the committee had achieved 85 per cent of its goals for 2023, with the remaining 15 per cent of tasks to be carried over to this year.

“Following discussions, the meeting attendees approved the budget and action plan for the NCDD. The committee laid out 34 expected outcomes, 87 priority actions and 139 indicators, all of which will be met with a budget of nearly $1.8 billion,” it said.

It explained that 2024 is the fourth year of the NCDD’s phase two, which focuses on strengthening sub-national administrations to be clean, capable, and responsible for fulfilling all of the tasks they are delegated.

The meeting also reviewed and discussed other agenda related to potential investment projects at the sub-national level.

The body urged the delegation of decision-making from the ministry to the capital and provincial administrations, and will enable them to authorise projects with an investment of less than $5 million in the near future.

Sokha encouraged all civil servants to work together to implement the decentralisation and deconcentration reforms, noting that excellent results have already been achieved.

He also highlighted what he called the “outstanding results” of the sub-national democratic reforms put in place by the seventh-mandate government, lauding the progress in has made in the slightly more than four months since its formation.

“The NCDD is not just sustaining the good work done

under the previous government. In a little over four months, it has achieved outstanding results both at the national and sub-national levels,” Sokha said.

One example of sub-national reforms he offered was the One-Window Service Office (OWSO) initiative, which provides fast and effective public services. He explained that OWSOs at the sub-national level provide more than 800 kinds of service in a fast, transparent and effective manner.

According to Sokha, the service has also earned the praise of the National Assembly.

Am Sam Ath, operations director of rights group LICADHO, noted that the NCDD has played a vital role in sub-national level reform by ensuring good governance, accountability, and that public services are provided in a quick and transparent manner.

Nevertheless, he cautioned that local development and transparency in public service is dependent on the practices of individual civil servants.

“Strengthening local development and guaranteeing the accountability of public services cannot be accomplished solely by assigning a large budget. It depends on the will of the officials who are charged with carrying out the programme. They must do so in a way which ensures transparency, no corruption, and the most effective use of their operating funds,” he said.