Sokimex Says Contract Termination Is Government Decision

An executive at Sokimex, the firm that has held the right to sell tickets to the Angkor Archaeological Park since 1999, said on Sunday that the decision to end its contract next year was made by the government, contradicting a statement saying that it was made at the request of the company.

In a statement released on Friday, the Council of Ministers said that the decision to take full control of ticketing at the country’s top tourist destination was made based on a request by the Sokha Hotel Group, a subsidiary of Sokimex.

“At the request of the Sokha Hotel Group, the Royal Government decided to end its contract to collect fees from selling tickets to visit Angkor with the Sokha Hotel Group,” it said.

However, Heu Heng, deputy director of Sokimex, said that was not the case.

“We did not submit or hand over a request,” he said, referring further questions to the firm’s chairman, Sok Kong, who could not be reached.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he could not explain the confusion.

“I don’t know how the statement writer works,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Hun Sen had received the company’s “consent” before making the decision.

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