Cambodia Future

When asked about the achievements of Taches commune, councilors immediately describe infrastructure projects. In the first mandate (2002-2007), Taches commune built rural roads, bridges, culverts, schools, water sluices, dams and channels, etc., using the commune budget or funding from provincial line departments, NGOs and other sources. Rehabilitation and repair, particularly of irrigation systems, were firm commune priorities. For example, in 2005, the commune used the commune fund to dig a channel of 2,700m for citizens in five villages. This channel provided many advantages to farmers, such as: 1) the need to spend less time irrigating because of the channel’s proximity; 2) decreased vulnerability to drought; 3) less money spent on diesel for motor pumps; and 4) availablility of water all year long.

In general, the commune budget is used mostly for infrastructure projects, which absorb a huge amount of money, are big and are also able to serve people’s needs. These achievements are easier to count and remember as compared with non-infrastructure achievements, which are mostly not implemented by the CC. However, this did not mean that the council has forgotten or passed over service delivery projects. The CC has many service delivery projects in its three-year rolling commune investment program (CIP), seeking support from provincial line departments, NGOs, institutions and charitable persons in the annual district integration workshop (DIW) between August and November. The CC is clear that it will not use the commune budget to implement such projects.