KUALA LUMPUR – The government has not made any decision to reintroduce the goods and services tax (GST) in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
The government’s priority is to fight the pandemic, protect the people and support businesses, he told the Dewan Rakyat in a written reply to Ling Chai Yew (PH-Sibu).
Nevertheless, he said the government was studying and soliciting views and feedback from various parties regarding feasible consumption tax models, while taking into account weaknesses in the current sales and services tax (SST) and previous GST regimes respectively.
“This study will cover the impact on the economy, cost of living, impact of the tax on price of goods and its ability to fight black economy activities.
“Any taxation system whether improved or new must be simple to administer and not increase business costs, while strengthening the country’s fiscal position,” he said. – Bernama, December 15, 2020
