The Federal Republic of Germany has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing cooperation with Cambodia in supporting the nation’s decentralisation and deconcentration administrative reforms.
The pledge was made by H.E. Ms. Silke Röfer, the newly appointed German Ambassador to Cambodia, during a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha, who also serves as Chairman of the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD), at the Ministry on Tuesday afternoon.
During the meeting, Ambassador H.E. Ms. Röfer noted her review of the strong ties between the two nations, particularly the fruitful cooperation supporting democratic reform at the local governance level. She highlighted H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha’s 2024 study tour to Germany and Switzerland to gain further insights into local governance models and confirmed plans for several upcoming joint projects.
In response, H.E. Deputy Prime Minister expressed high appreciation for the key milestones achieved under Cambodia’s decentralisation policy.
He emphasised the transfer of functions, resources, and budgets from the national government to sub-national authorities to bring public services closer to citizens, supported continuously by Germany across successive government mandates.
The Interior Minister pointed out structural setups and elections across all administrative tiers – from commune/Sangkat to municipal, district, and provincial levels – along with expanded human resources and the transfer of more than 800 public service categories to local administrations.
He added that the tangible results of these reforms are reflected in the significant increase of commune/Sangkat funds, which rose from an average of approximately US$20,000 in 2002 to about US$200,000 in 2026.
H.E. Sar Sokha also briefed the diplomat on Cambodia’s ongoing crackdown on cyber-fraud operations. Key achievements over the past nine months of 2026 include the deportation and voluntary departure of roughly 500,000 foreign nationals, strict legal frameworks, and enhanced law enforcement cooperation with international partners such as the United States, China, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom.
Numerous foreign ringleaders as well as implicated local officials have been arrested.
Authorities have cleared around 400 illegal online scam operations and recently revoked the licenses of six legal casinos found covertly housing illicit online gambling activities. The Minister stressed that Cambodian law enforcement continues to collaborate with international partners to dismantle small covert sites and share intelligence to sever global criminal networks.
Ambassador Röfer acknowledged the importance of the update, stating she will brief the German government, relevant stakeholders, investors, and tourism sector representatives accordingly.
