PHNOM PENH, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced on Monday that the government would provide bonuses to civil servants and armed forces personnel when they deliver their babies, starting in January 2018.
Mothers giving birth to one child will receive 200 U.S. dollars, while mothers delivering twins will get 400 U.S. dollars, as mothers with triplets will get 600 U.S. dollars, he said during a university graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.
The prime minister said the Southeast Asian nation has 92,198 female civil servants and armed forces personnel, with 10,844, or 11.7 percent, of them having babies each year.
"From 2018 onwards, we will spend about 2.1 million U.S. dollars a year to help civil servants and armed forces when they deliver babies," Hun Sen said.
Last month, the prime minister also announced to offer bonuses to workers in the garment and footwear sector when they have babies, beginning in January next year. Mothers giving birth to one child will receive 100 U.S. dollars, while mothers of twins will receive 200 U.S. dollars and triplet mothers will get 300 U.S. dollars.
He said the government would spend about 10 million U.S. dollars a year for pregnant laborers because there were about 900,000 female workers with a pregnancy rate of 2.7 percent, or 24,000 workers, each year.
The bonuses will be paid through the National Social Security Fund.
"This is a new policy on social sector that is carried out by the Cambodian People's Party-led government," Hun Sen said.
