Thailand
Cambodians can now gain access to duty free international brands
Cambodians can now shop for their favourite brands of international products at China Duty Free. Announcing this in an event on Saturday, China Duty Free Group Co Ltd (CDF) said that it has obtained the government’s consent to open its stores to Cambodian nationals. This offer with the exception of barred items like alcohol and tobacco purchase is open across all stores.
CDF will operate its stores in three cities across the country to promote domestic spending on luxury goods. The principles were officially announced during the event attended by about 150 participants who are government officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) that issued the principle for CDF, officials from Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, the company’s officers and Chinese businesspeople.
Se Sakhorn, deputy general director of General Department of Customs and Excise of MEF, presiding over the launch ceremony, said the finance ministry has just approved the principle for CDF to run duty free stores at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville after the company’s executives had worked closely with the customs department.
“The principle is another new step of the finance ministry to support duty free stores, attract investments in luxury products that are popular among Cambodians and international tourists, to specially encourage local consumers to buy luxury products in domestic markets rather than spending money to buy such products overseas,” Sakhorn added.
However, Sokhorn drew the company management’s attention to effectively implement all conditions stated in the duty fee principle in selling its products to Cambodians and relevant regulations regarding importing procedures, product display, selling, hand over and accounting sales records.
They have to have “good cooperation between company’s officers and government officials to ensure high compliance in selling products to Cambodian people at their duty free stores,” he said, adding that MEF has released two rounds of intervention measures to support duty free stores after Covid-19 pandemic has been effectively controlled by the government.
Sokhorn went on to add that the payment of fee for the duty free stores — 10 percent of the total value of imported goods was the responsibility of the government from May to September 2020 for the first round. Five percent was reduced from January 2022 to June 2023 for the second round.
All of these measures are expected to only help mitigate the financial responsibility of duty free store operators and costs of the goods, but also provide support for businesses in duty free stores to resume operations and grow as fast as possible, he said.
“I officially announce the launch of the principle selling duty free goods for Cambodians at the three locations of the company now,” he said.
Mr Win, CDF Cambodia Ambassador, said in a video promoting the duty free stores of the company that Cambodian people can buy duty free products at the company’s stores from July 1 after producing their national identity cards without going abroad to buy them.
CDF is a travel retailer with more than 200 stores in China and three in Cambodia where over 300 brands including Dior, Gucci and Bvlgari, and 20,000 products such as the world’s top cosmetics, perfumes, leather goods, clothes, bags, watches, jewellery, sunglasses and confectionery.
Duty free stores are usually situated in international airports, international seaports, international borders and railway stations, according to a circular on the establishment and management of duty free shop business.
Cambodia Duty Free is part of Dufry AG, a global travel retailer with operations in 380 locations in 64 countries. Dufry operates around 2,200 shops at airports, cruise liners, seaports and other touristic locations.
In Cambodia it operates four shops at Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501114201/cambodians-can-now-gain-access-to-duty-free-international-brands/