Gov’t to increase bonus salary for high ranking army and police officers

It has been turned into a bad joke when nonstop waves of demonstration of low ranking civil servants are demanding for a raise of their bonuses so that they can live a decent life, but quite to the contrary, the government instead decided to hand out bonuses only to a handful of high-ranking army and police officers.

Based on a sub-decree promoted by Keat Chhon, the minister of Finance, and approved by Hun Xen on 15 March 2010, bonuses will be doled out to army and police officers ranking between levels no. 1 and 50 only, the bonus amount is 50% [of their salary(?)].

Under this unfair distribution of social rewards, MP Yim Sovann, the SRP spokesman, declared that the government should think about soldiers and police officers stationed all along the country who have to face severe living and health conditions. Due to their low salaries, these lower-ranking soldiers and police officers could not send their children to school.

Currently, the salary for regular civil servants amounts to more than 100,000 riels (about $30). However, for those who hold the position of department chief and up, their salaries start at 1 million riels ($250), they also receive additional gasoline and telephone stipends.