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Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 4:34 pm
by dron
I am trying to help my girlfriend open a small business. When I say small I'm talking about a shop house with two tables selling drinks. We spent a few thousand dollars refurbishing the place and putting in seats and sinks and such. She insists on my name being on the business. I think she's worried I won't be able to renew my visa when it expires under the new rules. I don't need the income at all but I wouldn't mind getting a work permit so that I can stay here.

We went to the Khan and filled what they said was the only form needed along with several certified copies of our ID, some photos and some thumb prints. We also paid 100000 Riel. Then they gave us a receipt and told us to come back ........ IN MAY! When asked if there was any way to speed things up in every way possible we were told no.

This doesn't even handle any requirements to register the business with the Ministry of Commerce, register with the Ministry of Tax, or register with the Ministry of Labor. Then on to the work permit!

I have searched Google, this site and the other forum in vein. So I make this post to ask if there are any lawyers or other fixers around who can help with all of this business stuff or at least speed up the process. Running around the city all day for weeks isn't my idea of a good investment of time considering the business will probably gross less than a thousand dollars a month.

Does anyone have experience with this? If she opens now and starts selling soft drinks and the fuzz shows up what kind of issues could she or I be looking at?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

I have been here for years and I can speak Khmer pretty well but I haven't been engaged in any kind of work or business activities at all since I earn my kingdom from online endeavors established in my home country.

Re: Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:52 pm
by bolueeleh
get an agent to do all the paperwork but not sure if its gonna worth it becoz it will cost u few hundreds bucks at least

Re: Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:34 pm
by John Bingham
dron wrote: Fri Mar 30, 2018 4:34 pm Then they gave us a receipt and told us to come back ........ IN MAY! When asked if there was any way to speed things up in every way possible we were told no.
That can be a problem, things often get extremely busy around Khmer New Year and as a result there's usually a backlog till May or even June. :?

Re: Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:28 am
by dron
bolueeleh wrote: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:52 pm get an agent to do all the paperwork but not sure if its gonna worth it becoz it will cost u few hundreds bucks at least
I have already spent several thousand. A few hundred wouldn't bother me much, especially if it's fast. I'm not trying or even planning for this to be very profitable.

Do you have any recommendations on an agent or fixer? I have never had to use the services or either outside of my annual Lucky Lucky visa trip so I wouldn't even begin to know where to look.

Re: Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:25 pm
by bolueeleh
dron wrote: Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:28 am
bolueeleh wrote: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:52 pm get an agent to do all the paperwork but not sure if its gonna worth it becoz it will cost u few hundreds bucks at least
I have already spent several thousand. A few hundred wouldn't bother me much, especially if it's fast. I'm not trying or even planning for this to be very profitable.

Do you have any recommendations on an agent or fixer? I have never had to use the services or either outside of my annual Lucky Lucky visa trip so I wouldn't even begin to know where to look.
ask any guy behind any desk at MoC, usually they hv relatives / frens that work as facilitator, n becoz thet are frens / relatives, it is much faster

Re: Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:37 pm
by markd
why did they say no to you

Re: Any assistance with opening a business available?

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2018 8:23 am
by epidemiks

dron wrote:
Does anyone have experience with this? If she opens now and starts selling soft drinks and the fuzz shows up what kind of issues could she or I be looking at?
With the receipt I'd say it's safe to start trading. Just don't put up any signs, as they require a tax patent and will undue attract attention.