PM, President Marcos Jr. talk tax, defence, trade and tourism

Melbourne, Australia – Cambodia and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen defence ties to address mutual security concerns and boost the rice trade between the two nations.

The discussion was made during the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Hun Manet and Philippines’s President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne yesterday.

The Special Summit is to celebrate 50 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner.

During the meeting the two leaders discussed a wide range of close bilateral issues, including defence, tourism, trade and double taxation, among other.

According to the Philippines’s Presidential Communications Office (PCO), during the meeting the leaders discussed the double taxation issue between the two countries.

“We are working very hard on the issue of double taxation between our two countries,” Marcos told Mr Hun Manet.

“And I just wanted to assure you that we are working on that… because if we are going to talk about increased trade between Cambodia and the Philippines, that has to be sorted out,” he added.

“But, I just wanted to assure you that we have gone through this process with other countries before, especially around Asia. And I’m pretty confident that we’ll find a good solution,” Marcos said.

In response, Mr Hun Manet stated that the Cambodian government will also address the issue, as Cambodia is actively pursuing similar initiatives with other countries to enhance trade and investment mechanisms.

The discussions on the double taxation agreement between the Philippines and Cambodia began in Manila in 2018, with continued efforts in subsequent years.

This agreement ensures that individuals or entities receiving income in one country won’t face double taxation in the other contracting state. It also offers tax relief through exemptions or preferential rates, aiming to curb tax evasion and promote foreign trade and investment between the two nations.

The leaders also discussed expanding flight connections to enhance accessibility to the countries’ premier tourism destinations.

Mr Hun Manet expressed his interest in further discussions on connectivity and increasing the number of tourists travelling between Cambodia and the Philippines.

Marcos informed Mr Hun Manet that the Philippine government has enlisted a group to modernise and enhance the efficiency of Manila airport.

Additionally, he mentioned the ongoing development of regional airports near tourist destinations to attract more travellers to the Philippines.

Marcos and Mr Hun Manet also agreed to bolster defence ties in order to address shared security concerns.

Mr Hun Manet and Marcos have previously met on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia.

During that discussion, Marcos suggested the potential of sourcing rice from Cambodia and emphasised the importance of enhancing commercial aviation between the two nations.

Cambodian officials outlined their goal of capturing a one percent share of the imported rice market in the Philippines by 2024. They urged stakeholders to maintain and intensify efforts to boost rice exports to the Philippines.