On July 8, Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen visited Ratanakiri province for a grassroots discussion with local council members and heads of government departments. He set out priorities for public services, security, taxation, livelihoods and border development. The event was the 18th in his nationwide series of discussions with local officials and took place in the 21st province or capital visited, with 785 local officials attending.
That week, Hun Sen began a special tour of five northeastern provinces. After visiting Kratie and Mondulkiri, he visited Ratanakiri and was due to continue to Stung Treng and Preah Vihear. He called for the northeast to become Cambodia’s fourth economic growth pole, driven by agro-industry and mining, supporting the country’s long-term goal of becoming a high-income nation by 2050.
On local governance, Hun Sen urged officials to put people at the centre of their work, simplify procedures and improve administrative efficiency to provide convenient, effective public services. He called for continued implementation of the safe village policy, with strong action against online scams, drugs, robbery and other crimes. In fiscal affairs, he urged stronger tax administration, action against evasion and a firmer national revenue base.
On livelihoods and social governance, Hun Sen called for regular visits and assistance to veterans, retired civil servants, families of fallen soldiers and disabled veterans, improving living conditions and protecting their children’s access to education. He urged local authorities to handle land disputes lawfully and fairly, prioritising out-of-court mediation without favouritism. He also called for firm natural resource protection, action against illegal forest destruction and officials to listen to local concerns and resolve practical problems.
Hun Sen also called for Ratanakiri to deepen border cooperation with Vietnam and Laos, safeguard border security and stability, and promote cross-border trade. The northeastern province borders both countries and has an international border checkpoint. The report said local agricultural processing and mining were developing steadily, with nine large factories and projects for gold, stone and other mineral resources.
