H.E. Phoung Sophea, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) and H.E. Chreay Pom, Director General of Technical Affairs, MRD together with Mr. Touch Siphat, Deputy Director General of Administration and Finance and SAAMBAT Project Manager as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance attended a meeting with IFAD team to close the implementation support mission under SAAMBAT project held from 19 to 23 June 2023.

The mission findings indicated that the project has continued to make good progress since the mid-term review. Highlights include as follows:

• The first meeting of the Country Programme Steering Committee successfully conducted,
• First works contracts signed and start of rural road construction,
• Preparation of training contracts for Round 2 of the skills training programme and
• Award of the first round of Challenge Fund grants of Digital Agriculture Accelerator Program.

The project is currently reviewing its 2023 annual work plan with budget, output targets and projected expenditures up to the end of the project, in order to eliminate an identified funding gap including procurement Plan. The work plan should be revised in a timely manner and should reflect only expenditures that can realistically be achieved in 2023. The team agreed to revise with the agreed schedule.