A total of 252 vehicle owners were fined from February 4-9 in Takeo and Preah Sihanouk provinces for failing to pay annual road taxes after the February enforcement campaign got underway.

The General Department of Taxation under the Ministry of Economy and Finance warned last week that officials would begin inspecting the tax status of all vehicles from February 1 onwards. Checkpoints were to be set up on major thoroughfares in the capital and provinces.

In Takeo province, a total of 76 vehicles of different kinds had been fined so far, said Takeo provincial tax deputy chief Chan Bon on February 10.

According to Bon, the owners of the vehicles claimed that they had forgotten to pay the tax due to their busy daily lives. However, they accepted the fines in good faith, he said.

During the street inspections, traffic police also educated the public about vehicle taxes, and explained that they ought to pay on time in the future, as the fines merely wasted the vehicle owner’s money.

“While they were paying their fines, our officers explained to them that the taxes can be paid anytime from June to November but that they must not miss this payment window. All of them said they would not forget again, and understood that paying road tax was their duty,” Bon said.

In Preah Sihanouk province, provincial tax deputy chief Pet Chork, said that a total of 176 vehicles of all kinds had been fined during the same period.

According to Chork, most of the people who were fined tried to claim that they had not paid the taxes due to Covid-19. He said that his officers did not accept that as an excuse.

“Most people who were fined had simply forgotten to pay but claimed the pandemic was their reason. But the number of vehicles we inspected and found unpaid taxes on was in the minority. Most people were up to date,” he said.

He added that any vehicle owners who had failed to pay road taxes during the June-November period would have to pay the taxes, plus a fine. They would not be able to escape, he said.