PHNOM PENH: Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has reaffirmed that the government will continue to subsidize electricity tariffs, contributing to reducing the expense of citizens as global energy prices remain high.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia will not increase the electricity prices even though it has to pay millions of U.S. dollars a month in order to alleviate the citizens' burden nationwide, including that of the workers,” the Premier said at a get-together with some 18,000 garment workers and employees in Phnom Penh's Khan Meanchey and Dangkor on Tuesday.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia have caused a sharp rise in global energy prices. In the past few years, some countries increased the electricity tariffs.

“The government steps in to maintain the citizens' livelihoods, although it loses millions of U.S. dollars monthly,” Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy in September announced to reduction of electricity bills for industrial and agricultural enterprises in order to help them gain competitiveness by lowering production costs.

The electricity prices will be cut for three months till the end of the year. About 21,000 factories and enterprises will benefit from this government's move.