On 29 August 2024, the Ministry of Tourism (“MOT”) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance issued a Joint Prakas 537 on the Penalties under the Authorities of the Ministry of Tourism (“Joint Prakas 537”) setting out a list of penalties in relation to violation of the Law on Tourism and related tourism regulations that are under the authorities of the MOT. This Joint Prakas 537 will come into effect on 1 October 2024 abrogating previous Prakas such as Joint Prakas 160 on Tourism Related Penalties dated 17 February 2020.
The penalties under Joint Prakas 537 include monetary fines (to be paid by specified deadline) and subsequent fines on late payment of up to 20 million riels (approximately USD 5,000).
We note that this new regulation provides clarity, particularly with respect to the delegation of authority to the capital and provincial administrations and some changes regarding the monetary fines, in comparison to the previous Prakas
The table below highlights some of the key offenses and penalties:
In light of the above, we recommend business operators adhere to the requirements set out in the Law on Tourism and to check the expiration date of their licenses or obtain a new license, if necessary, as failure to do so may result in monetary fines as specified in this Prakas.
Should you have any concerns or queries on the matters mentioned above, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
