Officials discuss graft

Photo by: Sovan Philong
Civic leaders head home after attending a meeting on how to tackle corruption.

The Phnom Penh Post
Tuesday, 15 September 2009 15:03 May Titthara

PHNOM Penh Governor Kep Chuktema addressed a gathering of city, commune and district leaders from across the capital on Monday, urging them to discharge their duties reponsibly and be on the lookout for corruption.

“We should think that people are our bosses, not that the authorities are the bosses of the people,” the governor told the gathering at the Royal University of Agriculture.

Kep Chuktema urged whistleblowers to use City Hall complaint boxes if they know of any commune chiefs or district authorities who are “not helpful”.

“City Hall has 100 complaint boxes to welcome any complaint,” he said.

Prak Narunn of Stung Meanchey commune said she thought bribery was endemic among local officials.

“It’s very difficult when we need help,” she said. “When I applied for a wedding party for my daughter, [officials] made it seem very difficult. But when I paid them some money, everything was faster.”