Veterans attend a handover ceremony in Santuk district, Kampong Thom province, on February 10. FACEBOOK
Prime Minister Hun Sen has asked the Ministry of Economy and Finance to speed up budget preparation to address the pension inequality of low-wage civil servants and veterans.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new Chaom Chao Interchange in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district on March 31, Hun Sen said the government will take care of all retired civil servants and prepare a policy to increase the payment of pensions for them. .
“Let me send this message to all pensioners, civilians and veterans, who have retired: we are working to increase your pension. We approach this because those who have a salary of, say, one million riels [$250] receive 800,000 riels when they retire, while those with a salary of 500,000 riels only receive 300,000 riels when they retire.
“[Finance minister] Aun Pornmoniroth, please direct the work to resolve this issue. We are ready to increase the budget. I think it will not be necessary to adjust the national budget for this because the amount is not that high because we will choose who will receive it.
“For example, a retiree with a basic salary of only 500,000 riels should see it increase by 30%. Those whose base salary is 600,000 riels should be increased by 28%. Those whose basic salary is 700,000 riels should be increased by 25%. We have worked out a formula to do this and those with pensions of one million riel are doing well.
“I would like to extend my greetings to all veterans and to all those who have retired. I leave [Kun Kim] bring money and meet the veterans and explain things to them,” he said, referring to the secretary general of the Cambodia Veterans Association.
Sem Sovutha, a retired military veteran since 1993 and now head of the Angkor Handicapped Association (AAD), said he was grateful for the prime minister’s efforts.
“I am delighted for my fellow veterans who [the prime minister] made this announcement and accelerated this process. I am very happy because it was very difficult due to the small budget for daily expenses that we had,” he said.
He added that when he first retired in 1993 he received a pension of 100,000 riels, then from 2012 he received 300,000 riels, then in 2020 his pension was increased. at 640,000 riels.
“What is interesting is that my generation has earned less money since 1990 or 1980. We don’t know what the salary threshold is. Pensions are not equal to veterans from 2000. In the year 2000, some of them with the rank of captain had a salary of more than one million riels but our pensions are only 640,000 riels,” he said.
