Gov’t exempts more than 700 vehicles from import taxes

Gov’t exempts more than 700 vehicles from import taxes

The Interior Ministry received a New Year’s gift from the Council of Ministers in the form of an exemption for the import tax on more than 700 vehicles with police licence plates.

According to an official letter dated December 31 last year from the Office of the Council of Ministers, the government decided to exempt 757 vehicles with police licence plates from paying the state import tax.

The move was in response to a letter from Prime Minister Hun Sen on December 27 requesting the exemption for vehicles used by units of the Interior Ministry.

Ministry spokesman General Khieu Sopheak yesterday told Khmer Times that most of the 757 vehicles are used for police work across the Kingdom such as to transport police officers to crime scenes, patrolling day and night to ensure public safety and transporting police equipment such as food and uniforms from Police Headquarters to stations in the provinces.

He said Interior Minister Sar Kheng minister suggested to exempt 757 vehicles because they are necessary to serve police work. “We have no more vehicles to ask for exemptions from the import tax,” the minister said, according to Gen Sopheak.

“Most of the 757 police cars which are exempt from import tax were donated by philanthropists from both inside and outside the country,” Gen Sopheak said, adding that they are not so modern or new but only Highlanders, 2007 Camrys or 2003 Hilux Vigos.

Gen Sopheak said that the demand of vehicles used by the ministry now is only 757 vehicles but the future demand may increase depending on the actual workload. Khmer Times