Government-by-Government Assessments: Cambodia

During the review period, the government made significant progress by publishing its executive budget proposal within a reasonable period.  The government also made its enacted budget available online but did not publish an end-of-year report within a reasonable period.  Information on debt obligations was publicly available.  Budget documents provided a substantially complete picture of the government’s expenditures and revenue, including natural resource revenues.  Budget executions deviated significantly from budget projections, and the government did not produce revised budget estimates or pass a supplementary budget.  Information on debt obligations, including major state-owned enterprise debt, was publicly available and updated within a reasonable period.  The supreme audit institution did not meet international standards of independence.  The government did not fully specify in law or regulation the criteria and procedures for natural resource extraction licenses and contracts; it instead relied on ad hoc negotiations to award contracts and licenses.  Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was not publicly available.

Cambodia’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:

• Making its end-of-year report publicly available within a reasonable period;
• Producing and publishing revised budget estimates or a supplemental budget when actual revenues and expenditures do not correspond to those in the enacted budget;
• Ensuring the supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence;
• Fully specifying in law or regulation the procedures and criteria by which the government awards natural resource extraction contracts or licenses and ensuring such laws or regulations are followed in practice; and
• Making basic information on natural resource extraction awards publicly available.