The Senate on May 18 approved the draft amendment to Article 140 of the Law on Administrative Management of the Capital, Provinces and Towns and Districts, increasing the maximum number of members in the board of governors from seven to 11, while also passing a food safety law.
The two laws, which were passed by the National Assembly on May 11, received the unanimous approval of the 59 Senators, according to the Senate’s press statement on May 18.
Under the new Article 140, the maximum number of members of the board of governors for Phnom Penh and provinces is 11, while that of each town and district stands at seven.
Under the old Article 140 of the law – which was promulgated in 2008 – the maximum number of members on the board of governors for the capital and provinces was seven, while that of towns and districts was five.
“This draft law was prepared with the intention of increasing the number of members on the boards of governors for the capital, provinces and towns and districts in order to increase human resources among their ranks, which are executive positions.
“This increase corresponds to economic growth, rising population and an increase in the number of administrators,” said the Senate press statement.
Regarding the food safety law, it seeks to establish a “system of control” for foods with a scientific basis.
“[The system] will use risk analysis and focus on priority areas with effective oversight mechanisms. Full implementation of this law will create a free flow of goods, services and investments in order to attract businesses, investors, talent and the free flow of capital to Cambodia,” the statement said.
The Senate further said that the draft law – which has 11 chapters and 43 articles – will be “vital for establishing a foundation to work from to push for the production of safe goods based on national laws and standards. It will also promote better healthcare and effective consumer protection while reducing the level of poverty of the Cambodian people.”
