Gov’t Bodies Ordered to Publish Prices for All State Services
The government has ordered all state institutions to start compiling a list of prices for all fee-based services so that individuals and companies can avoid informal payments, which were made illegal under the penal code last year, spokesman for the Council of Ministers Phay Siphan said yesterday. Under the Penal Code, the payment of a “facilitation fee” – a financial transaction that recieves no receipt – to a public official is punishable by between five and 10 years in jail. The government official who receives the payment can be imprisoned for seven to fifteen years in jail. Although investors have raised concerns about how such a law can be enforced when informal payments are so common, they also said the provisions could make it extremely risky for firms to carry out simple measures like registering a company. …
