Mon, 2 December 2013, Phnom Penh, Chan Muy Hong
The wages of
400,000 civil servants from 39 government ministries are to be paid via a
new electronic banking system due to be rolled out next month.
Secretary
of State for the Ministry of Economy and Finance Chu Kim Leng announced
the new payroll system on Friday, according to local media reports,
marking the beginning of the end for cash-only payments in the
government sector.
The ministry, ACLEDA Bank, Canadia Bank and
WING – a company that allows clients to make and receive payments using
their mobile phones – signed off on the deal last week.
According
to In Channy, president and CEO of ACLEDA, the government will deposit
salaries into an account at either one of the two participating banking
institutions or with WING starting in January 2014.
“The two banks and WING are the options the employees of ministries can choose to get their salary through,” he said.
Cambodia National Rescue Party chief whip Son Chhay said yesterday the move away from hard cash was well overdue but warned more work still needs to be done.
“This is what the government should have done a long time ago,” Chhay said.
“We still need to know how the system will work. What is the paperwork that government officials will need to get done to open a new bank account?”
Chhay
raised fears over the transparency of the new system and the existence
of “ghost staff” – nonexistent government staff receiving salary
payments.
“I doubt it will in any way help reduce corruption.… We
have heard reports of civil servants losing money or having a percentage
of their salaries taken out by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.”
He said that the government should make sure that those who receive salary payments are all legitimate government employees.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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