In brief
On Nov. 5, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet revealed the government has launched a $600 million subsidy program aimed at stabilizing fuel and electricity prices. The package includes electricity tariff cuts, duty waivers on oil, gas and electric vehicles, and tax reductions, and will remain in place as long as global markets stay elevated. Fuel prices have spiked 31 % for gasoline and 47 % for diesel since early 2026.
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that his government has deployed more than US$600 million in subsidies to blunt the impact of soaring global fuel prices driven by Middle East conflicts.
According to Xinhua, the subsidies comprise a mix of direct electricity tariff reductions, lowered import duties on oil and gas, and taxes cuts on electric vehicles, plug‑in hybrids, electric stoves and solar‑powered devices.
To date, we have subsidized more than 600 million dollars to curb rising fuel costs and stabilize electricity prices,
Prime Minister Manet said during a live‑televised address on state‑run TVK in Pursat province, where he was distributing rice seeds and relief items to households still recovering from severe flooding.
Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that the retail price of regular gasoline stood at 5,050 riels (about US$1.24) per liter on Thursday, a 31 percent surge compared to pre‑conflict levels in February, while diesel climbed 46.7 percent to 5,650 riels per liter.
Fuel price hikes elevate transportation and production costs, driving up inflation and eroding purchasing power, particularly for food and agricultural products. This ultimately slows down broader economic activity,
said Thong Mengdavid, deputy director of the China‑ASEAN Studies Center at the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, citing Xinhua.
Manet assured citizens that the subsidy program would remain effective for as long as international fuel markets remain elevated, and that the measures were designed to protect low‑ and middle‑income households, informal workers and small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises from escalating costs.
