PHNOM PENH — The Cambodian government decided on Friday to stop outsourcing to a private company the sales of tickets to Angkor Wat starting next year.
In a statement released after the weekly cabinet meeting, it said a public enterprise would be established to handle ticket sales. It will be headed by the minister of economy and finance in cooperation with other related ministries and agencies.
The government will end its contract with Sokha Hotel Co for selling admission tickets to the Angkor Wat complex from January. All staff employed by the company would be supervised by the new state enterprise, it added.
Sokha Hotel is owned by Cambodian tycoon Sok Kong and has managed ticket sales to the Unesco World Heritage site since 1999.
The decision to terminate the contract with the company came following continued criticism from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, which alleged that the government lost some revenues from sales of tickets.
According to government reports, more than 2 million foreign tourists visited the Angkor Wat complex last year, and the figure totalled more than 1.6 million for the first 10 months of this year.