The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) and the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) will increase cooperation, especially between their units along the common border, to facilitate trading and the fight against smuggling and trade frauds.

A minute to this effect was signed in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh on April 27, on the basis of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked by the two sides in January, 2007.

Addressing the signing ceremony, GDVC Head Nguyen Ngoc Tuc suggested the Cambodian side boost the exchange of information regarding import and export, immigration and the fight against cross-border smuggling and trade frauds.

He proposed the Cambodian side host the third Border Customs Conference in the third quarter of this year, boost bilateral meetings between the two countries’ border customs agencies and implement a one-time check at the Moc Bai-Bavet border gate.

GDCE Head Pen Siman said relations between the two departments are developing fruitfully, contributing to each country’s economic development.

The two sides expressed their concerns over the scenario where cross-border smuggling and illegal goods transport would become more complicated due to high demand for goods exchange between the two nations’ residents. They also agreed on the need to carry out strict methods to control illegal petrol trading as a result of the imbalance between the values of Vietnam dong and the Cambodian riel.

As scheduled, the Vietnamese delegation will attend the Customs Conference between ASEAN, Japan and ADB in Phnom Penh on April 29./.