AKP Phnom Penh, August 25, 2026 --

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has reaffirmed that the Royal Government has no plan to reduce or merge ministries, stressing that its current institutional reform focuses on strengthening the effectiveness of existing state institutions rather than expanding or restructuring them.

The Prime Minister made the remarks this morning while presiding over the inauguration ceremony of three road sections in Kratie province, reconstructed and upgraded with financing from a concessional loan from the World Bank.

“At this time, the Royal Government has no plan to reduce or merge any ministries,” Samdech Thipadei said, underlining that the current reform approach is focused on strengthening existing institutions to ensure their effectiveness.

Regarding state institutional reform, the Prime Minister said Cambodia would not simply copy approaches adopted by other countries, as some nations have chosen to reduce the number of ministries while others have expanded their ministerial structures.

“What we need to talk about in state institutional reform are clarity and work efficiency – strengthening the working system, structure and human resources. Right now, we are not talking about merging ministries,” he underlined.

Samdech Thipadei explained that administrative reform should not be measured simply by whether the number of ministries is increased or reduced. Rather, the key consideration should be whether government institutions are structured and managed effectively to respond to the country’s actual needs.

He noted that both the consolidation and expansion of ministries have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, decisions on institutional structures should take into account work efficiency, overlapping responsibilities and potential challenges that could arise from structural changes.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of maintaining continuity among civil servants working within government institutions during the reform process.

“For now, we are not asking whether there are too many or too few ministries. What we are asking is whether the ministries and institutions currently in place have been organised effectively,” he explained.

Samdech Thipadei stressed that the Royal Government is examining whether responsibilities among ministries overlap and whether the internal structures of individual institutions have been appropriately organised.

“This is Cambodia’s approach,” he said, emphasising that the focus should be on clarity and efficiency in the operations of the Royal Government rather than simply reducing the number of ministries.

The Prime Minister further underscored that the reform agenda is centred on strengthening working systems, organisational structures and human resources, rather than pursuing a policy of reducing or merging ministries.

By Heng Panha