Cambodia collects $6.1 bn in taxes this year: PM

Phnom Penh, Dec 30 (IANS) The Cambodian government made $6.1 billion in revenue from tax and customs in 2022, an increase of 20 per cent from $5.07 billion in 2021, Prime Minister Hun Sen said here on Friday.

The country has two institutions responsible for collecting taxes, reports Xinhua news agency.

One is the General Department of Taxation (GDT), which focuses on interior taxes such as income tax, salary tax, value added tax, and property tax, and the other is the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), which collects taxes on goods entering and leaving the country.

"The GDT earned $3.43 billion this year, a 22 per cent higher than the self-imposed annual target, while the GDCE collected $2.67 billion, a 4 per cent higher than the target," he said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of two national roads.

Besides, he said the Southeast Asian nation received around 2 million international tourists in 2022, earning about $60 million from visa fees.

Hun Sen said the Cambodian economy has returned to normal after the kingdom has successfully controlled the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and fully reopened its border since November 2021.

According to a government forecast, Cambodia's economy is expected to grow by 5.4 per cent in 2022 and 6.6 per cent in 2023.

The growth has mainly been driven by garment exports, construction and real estate, tourism and agriculture.