Despite claims by an SRP lawmaker, the Sokha Hotel Group has not under-reported the revenue earned from ticket sales to the Angkor Archaeological Park, Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote in a recent letter.
In a January letter, SRP lawmaker Son Chhay asked the prime minister for an accounting of the revenues earned from ticket sales to the park, accusing the Sokha Hotel Group, which has a concession to sell the tickets, of under-reporting its earnings.
Son Chhay said that the five-year concession, which was renewed in 2005, should be reconsidered.
In a March 3 written response to National Assembly President Heng Samrin obtained Tuesday, Hun Sen writes that reports of $32.7 million of revenue in 2007 and $25.3 million in 2006 were correct and the concession will stand.
“All the payments and commissions were correctly controlled by the Ministry of Finance and the National Audit Authority,” he wrote.
Under the concession deal, Sokha Hotels, a division of Sokimex, takes home half of the first $3 million in ticket sales and 17 percent of sales in excess of that.
Under that formula, Sokha Hotels made about $6.5 million in 2007, but Son Chhay claimed Tuesday that the company made much more.
“The figures used in the premier’s report are not accurate because it is just a report made by [Sokimex President] Sok Kong and the Apsara Authority to Hun Sen,” he said.
Son Chhay claimed that Sok Kong’s company earned more than $60 million in 2006 and again in 2007, but declined to say where he obtained those figures.
Sok Kong could not be reached Tuesday and Sorn Sokna, the vice president of Sokimex, declined to comment.
Bun Narith, director general for the Apsara Authority, said by telephone Tuesday that ticket sales are recorded accurately, and that there is a detailed accounting system in place.
Pictures are taken of all visitors to ensure that no one uses another person’s ticket; that system, he said, also ensures accuracy of revenue figures.
