Manet calls for inspection legislation standardisation
PRIME Minister Hun Manet has reiterated that he sees the core role of his seventh-mandate government as good governance. For that reason, it has established monitoring mechanisms at all ministries and institutions to evaluate their effectiveness and efficiency.
He instructed all state institutions to see inspection work as a chance to improve efficiency, rather than an attempt to find fault, and urged the preparation of broader legal standards for inspections by the end of the year.
His remarks came as he presided over the February 13 closing of the Ministry of Inspection’s annual meeting.
“Under the current mandate’s Pentagonal Strategy, as well as the previous mandate’s Rectangular Strategy, our core task has been good governance. We have to clean our own house before we can examine other peoples. The inspection ministry has played an important part in strengthening governance at both the national and sub-national levels,” he said.
“If the government cannot control ourselves, how can we achieve any progress? We have established mechanisms to monitor the implementation of work in all state institutions, in order to ensure that they are working for the people as effectively as they can,” he added.
Manet explained that accurate monitoring is key to ensuring the effective implementation of the government’s reform programmes, which aim to modernise state institutions and guarantee they are strong, smart and clean.
“To that end, it is necessary to closely observe the way work is carried out and identify ways it could be improved. Thorough inspections are needed to ensure this is done efficiently,” he said.
The prime minister reiterated the
government’s “look in the mirror, take a bath, clean the body, get treatment and undergo surgery” approach to strengthening governance, noting that “looking in the mirror” requires honest evaluations and inspections.
“I urge all units and institutions to avoid considering inspections as a mechanism designed to catch mistakes, but one which will allow us to help each other to improve. It is important that we can assess the implementation of our plans, to ensure they are as effective as they were designed to be,” he said.
Manet instructed the inspection ministry to focus on its core functions: monitoring human resources, work implementation and legal standards, as well as to pay close attention to developing its own human resources.
He also called for broader inspection laws to come into force this year.
“Current inspections are carried out by individual institutions, with specific skills in their fields, but different interpretations of the law. We need to draft a standard set of common principles. I believe this would solve a lot of issues,” he said.
Addressing the closing ceremony, minister Huot Hak explained that the ministry has implemented its work plan in three ways: It has joined an inter-ministerial commission to solve the challenges of specific institutions, assigned inspectors whenever they have been requested, and deployed inspectors to any institution which appeared to be experiencing challenges.
He said that some misconceptions remain about the ministry’s role, with some officials still holding to the outdated view that inspectors would interfere in the internal affairs of government units, disrupting their internal unity and interrupting their work. He assured the assembled officials that this was not the case.
“Some of the shortcomings that we have identified and resolved include incomplete work within a certain jurisdiction, inappropriate use of funds or a failure to collect correct revenue,” he added.
During the meeting’s opening ceremony, Hak explained how past inspection efforts have influenced the attitudes of underperforming public officials. He added that ongoing inspections will address irregularities in civil service duties.
He noted that although inspection results cannot be quantified, he believes they have markedly improved the effectiveness and efficiency of public officials.
“As a result of our inspections, many underperforming public officials have corrected their poor attitudes. It is our duty to remind them of the need to remain conscious of their professional responsibilities at all times,” he said.
He added that routine inspections will continue to be conducted, in order to identify performance irregularities. The ministry’s officials will use the resulting data to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, as well as to identify specific challenges and solutions.
Yang Kim Eng, president of the People Centre for Development and Peace, noted the importance of regular inspections of all state institutions. He stressed the need for civil servants to be proactive in recognising and addressing their own challenges and shortcomings, in order to enhance their performance.
“Inspections must be carried out in all sectors, particularly in education. We have heard of instances of corruption within schools, with some teachers accepting payments from students. These practices have a detrimental impact on the quality of education. I believe the inspection ministry should prioritise investigating such allegations,” he said.
He said another issue that should be addressed is that of civil servants holding multiple positions. “Those identified with more than one role should focus on just one, in order to ensure that state resources are being used efficiently, without a waste of both time and budget.”