KUALA LUMPUR – The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has no plans to impose more taxes on or limit the amount of imported groceries entering the market, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
“Malaysia is a trading nation. We have to have an open-door policy, and so, we neither have laws to restrict the amount of imported goods nor any other extra taxes imposed on them,” said Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He was replying to Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin (BN-Rompin), who expressed worry over the influx of imported items that he said could impact the sale of domestic goods, especially in a time when local players are hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
To a follow-up question by Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) on the ministry’s initiative to help small-time traders and hawkers in this difficult time, Nanta said: “We are doing a number of micro-level initiatives, but our main hurdle is the statistical aspects of it.
“Many of them have yet to register their businesses with the ministry, therefore, government assistance cannot reach them.” – The Vibes, November 2, 2020
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