Hun Sen to officials: Collect all motor taxes

PHNOM PENH POST, Thursday, 13 August 2009 15:01 Chun Sophal

PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday ordered all tax and customs officials to collect outstanding duties on motorbikes and automobiles throughout the Kingdom that have not paid required import and road fees.

In a speech Wednesday to more than 1,300 students at a graduation ceremony at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said officials must go directly to police stations and collect taxes on all vehicles that have been confiscated for not keeping current on fees.

"We want this tax-collection measure to be effectively implemented throughout the country and want everyone to understand this problem," he said.

Kum Nhem, deputy director general of Cambodia's General Department of Customs and Excise, said Wednesday that his officials would work with police in every province to collect tax on all vehicles with outstanding fee balances.

"Under this measure, we hope that tax revenues will increase," said Kum Nhem.

Cambodia's customs office reported last week that US$51.4 million in taxes had been collected in July this year, but did not specify how much of that amount related to automobile fees.

Suon Van Hong, deputy director of the Department of Land Transportation at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said Wednesday that more than 800,000 motorbikes and more than 200,000 automobiles have been registered with the ministry.

He added that the department did not have exact figures on how many vehicles were currently operating without having paid taxes.