Cambodian cabinet approves $5 billion budget

The country’s cabinet approved the draft national budget law 2017, according to a press release from the Council of Ministers.
Total spending for 2017 will be up by 15.6 per cent compared to the US$4.3 billion set aside for 2016, it added. The spokesperson of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia, Phay Siphan, said the draft law was approved together with two other documents.
Based on this draft law, the monthly salary of the civil servants, armed forces, and contract officials will increase while the government’s support for child and wife of the civil servants and armed forces will also rise respectively.
The Royal Government of Cambodia plans to spend 6.8 trillion riel for the civil servants’ and armed forces’ monthly salaries and child and spouse support, up 20.7 per cent on the year. It has set aside 3,3 trillion riel for national defence, security and social order, up 20.4 per cent; 1.3 trillion riel for the economic sector, up 13.1 per cent; and 4.8 trillion for the social affairs sector, up 12.7 per cent.