PHNOM PENH: The Director General of the General Department of Customs and Excise, Kun Nhim, said that from 1 July onwards, all right-hand drive vehicles that have not yet paid taxes will be destroyed or disassembled into parts.
Speaking at a press conference on the progress of the implementation of the collection of duty-free vehicles and existing import duties in the country on Wednesday, Director General Kun Nhim said that until the deadline of 30 June 2022, the General Department of Customs provides people time to pay taxes for both right and left-hand drive vehicles. After this deadline, however, the department will take steps to increase the crackdown on vehicles with unpaid taxes. When caught, left-hand drive vehicles will be forced to pay their taxes, import duties plus fines, while right-hand drive vehicles will be confiscated to be destroyed or disassembled into parts.
The Director General said, "In order to avoid any problems, after 30 June 2022, the General Department of Customs has informed that it will strictly implement this principle, people should bring their cars to pay taxes.”
It should be noted that for right-hand drive vehicles, for the remaining two months before the deadline, the General Department of Customs continues to deduct 10% of the state tax. Additionally, to make it easier for members of the public, the General Department of Customs will continue to work on car tax payment service during holidays.
Director General Kun Nhim said that as of 30 April, owners of 6,922 vehicles have come to pay their taxes and deposits, amounting to around $60 million dollars in total taxes paid. Meanwhile there are still about three thousand registered cars that have not yet had their taxes paid for.
At the closing ceremony of the 2021 Work Review and 2022 Work Orientation of the Ministry of Interior on 23 February 2022, Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a warning to impound cars that evade taxes and burn them as an example to end the problem of chronic tax evasion. The Prime Minister stated that even if the tax-evading car was left at home, it will still need to be seized.
