Najib: Government to ensure GST no burden to
people
PETALING JAYA: The Government is committed to ensuring
that the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax
(GST) will not burden the people, Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak said Monday.
The Prime Minister said it
should be realized that the primary objective of the
implementation of the GST was to strengthen the
country's financial resources and, eventually, ensure
more effective development for the nation's progress and
people's good.
"Our aim of implementing the GST
is not to burden the people. We implement the GST in a
way to minimise the burden on the people. No other
country has given that many zero-rated GST and
exemptions that we have.
"This goes to show that the Government really does not
want to burden the people. We will implement the GST
without burdening the people. At the same time, we will
raise the nation's revenue, and this is for the people's
good," he said. |
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Najib was addressing a gathering of Customs employees at
the multipurpose hall of the Federal Territory Royal
Customs Department here.
He said it was hoped that at the macro level, the
strengthening of the country's financial resources
through this taxation system would help raise the
nation's rating to a more positive level and enhance
international confidence in the way Malaysia managed its
economy.
He advised Customs staff to make the
implementation of the GST on April 1 the most excellent
tax reform in the country's history.
Acknowledging that the Customs had a heavy
responsibility in facing the people's perception, Najib
said the Government would be with the Customs Department
in ensuring that the implementation of the GST was
smooth.
"The Customs staff, as the frontliners,
had a huge responsibility and I wish to state that we
are here to help the Royal Customs Department to
discharge that responsibility.
"Customs, we are with you; we will walk together, and
implement the GST. This is going to be the biggest tax
reform in our history, and we will make it successful,"
he said.
Earlier, Najib, who is also the Finance
Minister, launched a set of GST guidelines to enable the
people better understand the taxation system, and had a
look at the preparations of the Customs staff for the
implementation of the GST.
Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad
Hanadzlah; Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan;
Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Siregar
Abdullah; Customs director-general Datuk Seri Khazali
Ahmad and other senior Customs officers attended the
event. - Bernama
Source:
The Star Online
, dated
30/03/2015 |