Cambodia Strengthens Anti-Tax Evasion Measures; Finance Minister Urges Customs Officials

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Aun Pornmoniroth, has encouraged leaders and officials of the customs and excise departments to continue focusing and further strengthening their efforts in implementing strict measures to combat tax evasion and fraud. Emphasis is particularly placed on enhancing the efficiency of customs technical work and reinforcing source management mechanisms. This encouragement was given during a meeting to review the progress of the implementation of strict measures for prevention and suppression, as well as strengthening the governance of the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia, for implementation in 2026. During the meeting, Dr. Kun Nhem, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Director General of the General Department of Customs and Excise, reported on the overall implementation results over the three months since the introduction of this package of measures in early May. Out of a total of 31 measures, 9 are fully implemented, 13 are regular tasks, and 9 are in the process of implementation or are scheduled for completion before the end of 2026. Despite facing several challenges, a key achievement of these measures has been the increase in the revenue component from diverse goods, which rose from approximately 42.9% in April to about 49.5% in July. Concurrently, the revenue component from the import of petroleum products has seen a significant decline due to the imposition of taxes and duties on fuel imports. Furthermore, Deputy Director Generals of the General Department of Customs and Excise provided the meeting with detailed reports on the progress of implementing measures within their respective responsibilities, covering the crackdown on tax evasion, trade facilitation, and strengthening internal governance. Detailed progress on the use and development of the General Department of Customs and Excise's information technology systems was also presented. Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth highly praised and commended the achievements of the General Department of Customs and Excise, both in implementing strict measures and in the field of information technology. In the area of information technology, the Deputy Prime Minister provided several specific directives. Firstly, to continuously improve the existing customs automation system to become a complete ecosystem with the capability for API integration with other necessary systems. Secondly, to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology broadly into customs operations to enhance revenue collection efficiency and provide trade facilitation. Thirdly, to comprehensively prepare a digital customs architecture framework to ensure the sustainability and functional expansion of the system in the long term. Source: CPP Cambodia