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Kampong Chhnang provincial administration has set up a taskforce following an investigation by the Interior Ministry of alleged misconduct involving the use of sub-national government funds in 71 communes, a move lauded by civil society groups.
According to a letter by the Kampong Chhnang provincial governor Sun Sovannarith dated August 13, the taskforce would look at the roles of civil servants, commune/sangkat council members, clerks or others who are assigned to carry out local development projects.
The letter shared by local BTV channel stated that the taskforce would inspect projects in Toek Hout commune in Rolea Ba’ier district, Melon commune in Boribor district, Chorng Morng commune in Toek Phos district, Sethei commune in Samakki Meanchey district, and Longvek commune in Kampong Tralach district.
Beside those five communes, the letter stated that the taskforce would also review all the communes’ project funds in the province.
The investigation was set up after a controversy of solar street lights costing eight million riel (about $2,000) in the province went viral. The ministry earlier confirmed that Toek Hout commune was one of the five communes where irregularities allegedly occurred.
The statement on the investigation was released after Prime Minister Hun Manet ordered subordinate officers to review the issue on Wednesday.
As a result of the alleged irregularities in Toek Hout commune, two senior provincial officials in the planning, investment and inter-sectoral department were demoted from their posts, Interior Minister Sar Sokha posted on August 12.
Hang Piseth was removed as the director of the Planning and Investment Department, and Van Then from the director post at the Inter-Sectoral Department. Both were reassigned to personnel management staff.
Provincial governor Sun Sovannarith declined to disclose the names of people allegedly involved in the misuse of commune funds in the other four communes, saying that a working group is currently investigating the case.
“I have formed a working group to investigate the case. If we find other people are involved, we will take legal action according to law. We won’t tolerate this [issue],” he only mentioned.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance allocated $1.06 billion for sub-national administration in the Budget in Brief 2026. The average budget for local development is approximately 415 million riel or about $102,000 per year for each commune or sangkat.
Toek Hout commune chief Chey Mout, could not be reached for comment. However, he issued a letter stating that a road repair project was conducted following a bidding process. The development involved a red gravel road measuring about 2,040 meters, along with the construction of two culverts, three solar street lights and one signboard, with an estimated budget of over 135 million riel ($33,311). Samnong Lay Phalla company won the bid after offering the lowest construction price 66.9 million riel.
Given the demand for more roads, the commune extended the road project to over 3km, with the inclusion of 15 solar lights, two culverts, and one signboard, with a total cost of 184.9 million riel.
NGO Forum Program Manager for Policy and Legal Influence and CSOs’ Working Budget Group Mar Sophal expressed strong concern over the setting of an “excessively high purchase price” for solar street lights.
“Bidding process [can] lack transparency or involve collusion between bidders and project officials,” he said.
“Exploiting community budgets seriously damages people’s trust in commune/sangkat councils and local leadership,” Sophal said.
“The government should take strict legal action, not just administrative action if corruption is found,” he said, adding that the Anti-Corruption Unit must send the case to court.
He called on the Interior Ministry to expand the investigation and review other local development nationwide because audits of commune/sangkat budgets would help ensure that decentralized funds transferred by the state to the local level are used effectively and transparently.
San Chey, executive director of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability, called on the ministry to review the expenditure at commune levels amid public criticism over alleged corruption involving procurement projects.
“We have seen that the price [$2,000 for a solar street light] is not reasonable, raising serious suspicions of corruption,” he said, adding that the market price of solar street lights was $160 to $200.
“I think if there is an investigation across the country into such issues, there would be a lot [of similar cases],” Chey said.
He said that the ministry should strengthen local official’s capacity and knowledge and public disseminate the sub-national budget of each commune to the public in order to prevent corruption in the future.
Opposition party Senator Kong Monika said the case reflects a failure to tighten the management of commune development funds administrative expenditures.
“All budgets belong to Khmer citizens who pay taxes, and the use of those budgets does not comply with procurement regulations and law. It is a signal of systematic corruption,” he said.
He called on the ministry to find people who are involved in the cases, especially in Kampong Chhnang, and use it as an example to review other communes in the country, including ministries.
ACU spokesperson Soy Chanvichet, said that as a procedure, the working groups must first gather information comprehensively and transparently before deciding the next steps.
He cannot disclose as he has to maintain confidentiality of the investigation.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak could not be reached for comment.
