Corruption crippling Cambodian tax system, minister says
DPA
Phnom Penh - Rampant corruption in both the private and state sectors has made tax collection in some areas virtually impossible, Finance Minister Keat Chhon said Tuesday. The minister dismissed opposition politicians' criticism that the government was squandering tax revenues, saying the real problem was that it was often unable to collect them.
"At the moment in Cambodia some companies have two sets of books. Some state institutions also have two sets of books," Keat Chhon said, hinting that these may even include some ministries.
"Two sets of books means corruption. The (Cambodian) Auditor General researches, but then comes back with no results. I think we should use the penal law to investigate and punish those who do this," he said.
He also conceded that powerful interests were involved in areas such as land-tax collection, and that many legal ruses were used to disguise real ownership.
International donors have called on the government to make serious reforms of the country's tax system.
They have also demanded that rigorous anti-corruption legislation be enacted, but although Prime Minister Hun Sen had promised that bill would be put before the National Assembly by the end of 2006, he recently cited ongoing reforms to the penal law and other complications as a reason for delaying the measure.
"At the moment in Cambodia some companies have two sets of books. Some state institutions also have two sets of books," Keat Chhon said, hinting that these may even include some ministries.
"Two sets of books means corruption. The (Cambodian) Auditor General researches, but then comes back with no results. I think we should use the penal law to investigate and punish those who do this," he said.
He also conceded that powerful interests were involved in areas such as land-tax collection, and that many legal ruses were used to disguise real ownership.
International donors have called on the government to make serious reforms of the country's tax system.
They have also demanded that rigorous anti-corruption legislation be enacted, but although Prime Minister Hun Sen had promised that bill would be put before the National Assembly by the end of 2006, he recently cited ongoing reforms to the penal law and other complications as a reason for delaying the measure.
3 comments:
In a country when there is no role model for tax colection, the whole Nation is waiting to self destruction. Hun Sen must show his own role model first for his duty as a tax payer abligation.
you cannot live in cambodia if you are not a corrupted person unless you have no power to be corrupted...it is easy they start with zero...but now you stand up in front of their houses then it is easy to see in your eye who is a corrupted person or not....no need two or three books...audit with your open eye...but actually people in cambodia they don't care and mostly care only themself not cheat....that why they let all those people to corrupted...who should be blame...really..all congress person because they all don't care but care only power and money..they all should be jail for creating corrupted law for people to suffer....
Without a proper tax collecting system, Cambodia WILL NEVER progress beyond it's current state of affair.
Every developed nations have an organized tax system. If Cambodia is to rise beyond it's infancy, then it must curb curruptions and tax businesses. It will be hard for Hun Sen to impliment the tax system, because many powerful figures and corporations that back him, would oppose it.
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