The Phnom Penh Post reports that the national assembly passed “Cambodia’s first law on public procurement in a bid to fight the endemic corruption in the public sector.” The voting was however boycotted by the opposition because “they did not believe it would make a difference to the rampant corruption in the public sector.”
“Previously, public procurement has been governed by a fragmented legal framework spread out over several prakhas, sub-decrees and internal guidelines.
The World Bank and Asia Develop Bank have both previously called on the Kingdom to remedy the legal loopholes in the law.
However, the legal framework adopted yesterday does not appear to be the comprehensive law that development partners have been insisting on.
Procurement planning, implementation monitoring and procurement methods for all acquisitions by state agencies and institutions are ignored by the legislation.”
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“The new Law on Public Procurement also does not provide for any investigation or complaints procedures.”