PHNOM PENH, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's customs officials on Wednesday called on all importers to pay"tax fees as stated by law, not pay bribe"to customs officers.
The appeal came after some Chinese importers have complained that Cambodian customs officers have increased tariffs for their imported products, or not allowed their goods to enter Cambodia.
Moreover, some logistic companies, Chinese enterprises and dealers said that some border corridors, which were previously open, were banned without any advanced notice so that their goods were stalled at border entrances and could not be imported into Cambodia, a local Chinese newspaper, the Commercial News, reported Wednesday. "We have not banned or raised any customs taxes at all for products imported from China or other countries -- the tax rates are the same as stated by law,"Kum Nhem, deputy director-general of the General Department of Customs and Excise, told Xinhua over telephone Wednesday afternoon.
Cambodia sees goods congestion at international border checkpoints these days since the General Department of Customs and Excise has tightened customs tariff payment by requiring all product importers to pay official tax rates, not to pay bribe to customs officers to lower tax rates, a customs official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity. "Before some unscrupulous good importers have paid only between 30 and 50 percent of the official tax fees and gave some bribe to corrupt customs officials in order to enable their goods to enter Cambodia, but now such practice is no longer usable,"he said, adding that the tariff enforcement came after the reshuffle of senior customs and excise officials at the General Department of Customs and Excise late last month.
According to a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Oct. 22, Keo Sokheang, chief of the Crime Prevention and Suppression Department, was moved to head the Tax Exemption Zone Department, while Kirt Sotheara, chief of Preah Sihanouk provincial Customs and Excise Branch, was appointed to lead the Crime Prevention and Suppression Department.
During a weekly Cabinet meeting on Oct. 25, Prime Minister Hun Sen lashed out at officials at the customs institution for corruption and gave them two months to correct themselves or he would take actions against them.
On Oct. 28, Pen Simon, director-general of the General Department of Customs and Excise, issued a statement, ordering his customs officials to strengthen tax collection in order to increase national budget.