Customs and Excise Department officials are complaining that a promised salary bonus meant to serve as an incentive to avoid corruption has yet to be doled out, even though  the program began last June.

The initiative, managed by the Ministry of Economics and Finance, was supposed to collect one per cent of Customs revenue from all the country’s branches, then re-distribute    it as a kind of award to mid-level department employees on up to branch chiefs.

Customs is one of the largest sources of revenue for the state, and the idea received a warm welcome.

“When we heard about the plan, we were all happy, but when will the leaders arrange to give the award? I don’t know,” a Customs official from the Banteay Meanchey branch told the Post yesterday.

He declined to give his name for fear it would jeopardise   his employment.

According to a memo signed by Pen Siman, the head of the Customs and Excise Department, the Ministry of Economics and Finance was supposed to set up a special fund in a National Bank of Cam-bodia account, where the government would manage the bonus cash.

“Please all of you arrange to withdraw and transfer award money for June, 2012 into the above account,” the memo, which was sent to all bran-ches, read.