GST forum for SMEs to be held on March 18

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 2,000 small-and-medium enterprise companies will participate in a forum on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), to be held at Wisma MCA on March 18.

MCA’s small-and-medium enterprise (SME) bureau chief Datuk Ei Kim Hock said the forum will be a platform for business operators to better understand GST prior to its implementation on April 1.

"Participants will get the opportunity to gather better information on GST at the forum while resolving issues that they may be facing prior to its implementation," he told reporters at a press conference here Wednesday.

He said he expected the forum's question-and-answer session to be a lively affair with participants raising issues on GST affecting them.

Among the issues that may crop up, he added, was the crackdown on some 42,000 SMEs which had failed to register their businesses before the March 1 deadline and were now subjected to a hefty RM15,000 fine.

"I hope that participants will bring this issue up so authorities can reconsider the punitive action against those failing to meet the deadline," he added.

He added that there should be some leniency with regard to the hefty fine or to defer action pending registration of the businesses. Senior officials from the Customs Department will be on hand to answer questions raised by participants during the forum.

Among the forum's speakers are Great Vision Business Advisory Services Sdn Bhd's director Datuk Chua Tia Guan, Secretariat for the Advancement of Malaysian Enterprises's chief executive officer Neil Foo Seck Chyn and Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong will officiate the forum.

The one-day forum will be conducted in Mandarin. Those seeking more information can call 03-22033935, 03-22033934, 03-21615621 or 03-92219122, or register online at http://goo.gl/forms/IrGl3Pgjb1