The outcome rating for the Agribusiness Access to Finance Project for Cambodia was not applicable and thus, the risk to development outcome was also not applicable.
... See More + The performances by the Bank, IFC, and the Borrower were all moderately satisfactory while the Participating Financial Intermediarys (PFI) performance was moderately unsatisfactory. The project did not materialize as expected due to the rapidly changing market conditions which were beyond its control. The team responded to these dynamics by restructuring the project, but it was not enough to maintain the financial viability of the facility. However, the agribusiness sector has seen significant expansion of credit and declining interest rates since 2010 driven by general improvement of financial sector and enabling environment. Both Bank and IFC have been supporting broader financial sector reforms through Financial Sector Assessment Program and various advisory services. For example, IFC contributed to the establishment of Cambodia Credit Agency which allowed the banks to better assess the credit worthiness of the potential borrowers. In this regard, the original goal of the program to increase PFI financing to agribusinesses was indeed achieved, although it was not attributed to the project which did not materialize. The data provided by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited showed that the value of loans it made to agribusinesses exceeded the planned landing targets under the Risk Sharing Facility.
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This book diagnoses Cambodian teaching quality and presents policy options for reform. Through classroom observation, assessments of mathematics and pedagogical content knowledge, and surveys of teachers and school directors, it sheds light on content and instruction, interactions with school directors, instructional support systems, and the implementation of teacher standards.
... See More + The book investigates the competencies and skills of those attracted to teaching; it assesses the extent to which preservice education in Cambodia is delivering graduates with high content mastery and exposure to a student-centered learning environment; and it examines how teacher performance has been impacted by national incentives, an evaluation system that is disconnected from classroom realities, and the extent to which opportunities to learn and share best-practice lessons with peers exists. Out of the diagnosis follow three policy pillars to reform how teachers are trained, maintained, and motivated. First, the government must make teaching a much more attractive profession. Second, it must improve how teachers are prepared. And third, it must encourage stronger classroom performance. The book contains detailed recommendations under each policy pillar and provides the platform for Cambodia to undertake its next generation of educational reform.
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This issue of the Cambodia economic update covers the following selected issues: 1) making the most of the Cambodian rise sector; and 2) creating opportunities for firms as reflected in findings from the investment climate assessment.
... See More + For FY2014 economic growth held up well despite domestic uncertainty and instability in neighboring countries. Real growth is estimated to reach 7.2 percent, driven by the garment, construction, and services sectors. Overall macroeconomic management has been good with fiscal consolidation underpinned by improved revenue administration. In 2015 with the expectation of renewed confidence and the return of political stability after ending a yearlong political deadlock in July 2014, bolstered by a strengthening global economy, Cambodia's real growth rate is expected to reach 7.5 percent, similar to that of 2013. The downside risks to the projected robust growth are a potential recurrence of labor unrest, natural disasters, especially the possibility of heavy floods, as well as regional political uncertainty. Concerning rice production, growth decelerated in 2013 highlighting the importance of revitalizing the rice sector so it becomes once again a key engine of GDP growth. While the milled-rice export market is steadily expanding and increasing the number of destination markets, the milling and transport costs of Cambodian rice make it loose the competitiveness it has at farm gate prices. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has set a very legitimate target of one million tons of milled rice exports that matters tremendously for poverty reduction and shared prosperity. Concerning the investment climate assessment findings, RGC's new five-year Rectangular Strategy III continues to prioritize improving the business environment to help diversify and increase value-added in production. The current period of robust growth represents an opportunity to make improvements to the business environment that will attract long-term investors. Proposed next steps in reforming the business environment include: a) addressing the high cost of electricity; b) automating government processes; c) encouraging new investment, particularly in special economic zones; d) continuing improvements to trade facilitation; e) completing the draft Competition Law; f) designing and implementing a system of incentives for business registration; and g) focusing on implementation and enforcement.
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The royal Cambodian government (RCG) has achieved remarkable progress in recent years in reducing the poverty rate by more than half. However, the majority of those escaping from poverty only did so marginally and remain largely near-poor and still highly vulnerable to the slightest of shocks.
... See More + One of the most critical factors in enabling the poor to escape from poverty, and not only remain non-poor but go on to prosper, lies in ensuring higher levels of health welfare in these households. This is especially important in rural areas, where most of Cambodias poor reside and where health indicators show a stark divergence with those for urban areas. If poverty is to continue to decline apace, and the gap between rich and poor is to continue to narrow, then the RCG will need to ensure that poor and near-poor peoples health care is greatly improved such that they can make the most of the new opportunities in education and employment that are now becoming available. With significant improvements in some health indicators over the past decade, the major challenges in health care going forward are now becoming clearer. These include: making a breakthrough in tackling high levels of child mortality and child malnutrition; addressing equity more effectively in health service provision and health spending, through pro-poor targeted programs and improvements in the coverage and rates of use of health equity funds (HEF); and the improved monitoring of unregulated private providers of medication used by the majority of the poor. In addition, another crucial step forward will be providing adequate financing and ensuring the implementation of Cambodias first national social protection strategy (NSPS).
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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a set of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes that are on the rise in Cambodia.
... See More + Meanwhile, injuries include those due to traffic accidents, which are becoming a major source of mortality and morbidity in Cambodia. NCDs are increasing in Cambodia as a result of smoking, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, and physical inactivity, all resulting in a sharp increase in the rates of obesity and high blood pressure. NCDs are affecting Cambodians in their productive years. Over half men and over a third of women dying from NCDs are younger than 60 years. The high cost of long-term health care and medicines, along with loss of income, pushes many Cambodian families deeper into poverty. It also overburdens the country's health system, constraining efforts to improve maternal and child health and tackle infectious diseases. Because of the nature of NCDs, which are rooted in multiple causes, strengthening the health system alone will not reduce the burden of NCDs. Many of the actions needed to prevent and control these diseases require the participation of numerous ministries and government agencies, as well as the private sector. For Cambodians to continue enjoying the fruits of economic growth, a strong commitment by the government, the people, and the international community is becoming increasing important. Improved coordination among all ministry of health (MOH) task forces will maximize financial and human resources and help implement priority NCDI-related interventions as part of, and not separate from, other ongoing programs. The application of the measures will benefit from clear procedures for joint planning, programming, budgeting, training, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (M and E) of all programs.
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It is already well known that the main provider of primary health care (PHC) in Cambodia is the private sector and that only one in three patients visits the public sector for out-patient care.
... See More + However, data on Cambodia's health market composition, the dynamics of seeking health care, and the quality of health care in the private health sector are scarce. For example, there is almost no information on the differences in the quality of care between the public and private sectors, and between licensed and unlicensed providers. In order to remedy these knowledge gaps, two studies were undertaken early in 2013. The first aimed to look at health markets focusing on: (i) the roll-out of Specialized Operating Agencies (SOAs), and (ii) the roll-out of Health Equity Funds (HEFs). The second study aimed to measure the quality of health care across the sector. The findings of the two studies suggest that traditional healers, such as Kru Khmer/witch doctors, shops selling pills and traditional birth attendants (TBAs), account for half of total rural health care providers, followed by private and public providers. Health system utilization indicates that 65 percent of all primary health care visits were to the private sector, although 60 percent of hospitalizations took place in public facilities. Possessing an HEF card increases health seeking towards the public sector to 34 percent (up from 15 percent), but only 46 percent of the poor have such cards. Half of women deliver their babies at home, and of those only 11 percent are attended by skilled medical personnel, while 88 percent are assisted by TBAs. Only 54 percent of private providers have formal training. Given the high utilization of the private and non-medical sectors, it seems likely that a large proportion of patients receive inadequate care, in particular from informal non-medical providers.
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Cambodia has faced daunting challenges in rebuilding its health workforce following the Khmer Rouge genocide of 1975-79, during which about 90 percent of health professionals perished, and the period of civil war that then continued until the 1990s.
... See More + Today, government salaries for medical workers remain low and most public sector health professionals depend on a combination incentive payments financed by government or development partners, income from providing health services outside their public sector jobs in the private sector, or by seeking non-medical second jobs. Although public health services should be relatively low cost or free, evidence suggests that many public sector health workers request gifts or payments. A variety of health financing and incentive schemes have been adopted over the years since the 1990s. With a view to improving service delivery in the health sector, the World Bank recently undertook a study to inform policies on: the compensation of public health workers; the management, motivation and incentives for public health workers; how to manage the existence of dual practice; and key reforms to financial initiatives such as Health Equity Funds (HEFs) and Special Operating Agencies (SOAs), both of which have an important impact on health workers. The resulting findings are important in reforming Cambodias human resources for health (HRH) policies and providing solutions to enable Cambodia's health sector to play its full role in helping Cambodian citizens to fulfill their potential. See Less -