Tourism revenues increase but taxes remain flat

Overall revenue from Cambodia’s booming tourism sector reached $2.5 billion last year, according to Tourism Minister Thong Khon. Khon said in an interview on Tuesday that the figure, which does not reflect the amount the state collected in taxes on the sector, marked a 15 per cent increase compared with the revenue accumulated in 2012. … Son Chhay, senior lawmaker with the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, claimed yesterday – as he consistently has in the past – that while gross revenue from tourism keeps increasing, government coffers aren’t as full as they potentially should be. “We see that the income put into the state budget is just a small amount,” he said. “We should have earned at least $500 million for the state budget. In general, the report from the Ministry of Economy and Finance shows that income for the state is under $40 million – that’s the problem. …

Chan Muy Hong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/tourism-revenues-increase-taxes-remain-flat