PHNOM PENH, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's General Department of Taxation said in a press release on Thursday that the country collected 122 million U.S. dollars of tax in the first two months in 2013, up 27 percent compared to the same period last year.

The tax revenues have been taken from tax on profit, withholding tax, tax on salary, VAT (Value Added Tax), special tax on certain merchandises and services, turnover tax, vehicle tax, patent tax and property tax.

Kong Vibol, director general of the General Department of Taxation, attributed the rise in tax revenues to increasing number of new businesses and strict law enforcement.

He said the country still has much room to grow in tax revenues and urged his officials to continue promoting tax law to individuals, corporations, trusts, and other entities in order to encourage them to pay the taxes.

In the whole year of 2012, the country earned 740 million U.S. dollars in tax, up 25 percent rise year-on-year.