AKP Phnom Penh, March 26, 2026 --

The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has launched a training course to enhance customs efficiency at main trade border gateways. 

The first training was held under the Project for Strengthening Customs Efficiency for Enhanced Mekong Connectivity, running over two days - Mar. 24-25 - at the Customs National School, Phnom Penh with the participation of customs officers.

This training aims to strengthen the capacity of customs and excise officials at the central level and customs and excise offices at target border crossings on trade facilitation and border management by enhancing awareness of key international agreements, joint inspection mechanisms, and common customs inspection areas.

The project expanded to three main economic gateways, including Poipet/Stung Bot, Bavet, and Sihanoukville Autonomous Port.

During this two-day training, customs and excise officials studied key topics such as: cooperation between border agencies, customs cooperation under the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, border management coordination, and case studies on single joint inspections and joint customs inspection sites, among others. 

Speaking at the training, Ms. Miura Yoshiko, Senior Representative of JICA Cambodia Office, expressed the expectation that the knowledge provided by Japanese experts will help make operations at border gates smoother, especially as the logistics volume in these areas is increasing significantly.

Mr. Se Sokhon, GDCE’s Deputy Director General expressed that knowledge gained from the training will significantly contribute to daily work performance and strengthen cooperation at the border.

“Deep understanding of international mechanisms will be a crucial key to making the exchange of goods at Cambodia's border crossings more competitive and transparent,” he said. 

By Chea Vannak