The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia saw a 13.8 percent increase in customs revenue last year to $2.59 billion.
The figures were released at an annual meeting on Monday, chaired by Mr. Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and Mr. Kun Nhim, Director-General of the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia, at its headquarters in Phnom Penh.
Mr. Kun Nhim said that despite facing some major challenges, the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia has achieved remarkable customs revenue collection.
“In 2024, the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia collected 10.552 billion riel (approximately $2.590 million), an increase of 13.8 percent compared to 2023,” he said.
He cited several major challenges, including increasing the scope and depth of implementation of free trade agreements, increasing domestic production instead of imports, wider tax and duty concessions to attract investment, the rise of small and electric vehicles, and the persistence of new but complex forms of tax evasion.
Cambodia has two institutions responsible for tax collection: one is the General Department of Taxation (GDT), which focuses on internal taxes such as income tax, payroll tax, value-added tax, and property tax, and the other is the General Department of Customs and Excise.
The Deputy Prime Minister praised the efforts of the leadership and staff of the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia for their strong revenue collection, achieving remarkable results despite challenges in the past year.
“The revenue collection of the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia has been remarkably successful despite facing a number of challenges, including the slow global economic recovery, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, Middle East issues, and geopolitical tensions,” he said.
Mr. Aun Pornmoniroth encouraged leaders and officials of the Customs and Excise Administration at all levels to continue to focus on and work hard to carry out their roles and responsibilities responsibly, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will continue to support the Customs and Excise Administration in carrying out its work more effectively.
For 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister outlined priorities for improving revenue collection and efficiency, including maximizing revenue collection, preventing tax evasion, strengthening compliance and e-commerce management, modernizing institutions, increasing cooperation with state and private sector institutions, and improving governance.
In 2023, the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia collected $2.288 billion in customs revenue, achieving 82.4 percent of the budget plan. The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia attributed the loss of customs revenue to the implementation of trade agreements.
Despite the loss of customs revenue from preferential tariff rates under free trade agreements, Cambodia has attracted more new investments, created jobs for the people, and increased exports, which have contributed to national income.
