KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), is expected to increase between 3.5% and 3.8% when the goods and services tax (GST) takes effect from April 1, 2015, but the inflationary pressure is expected to eventually moderate within a year.
“We are not denying that inflation would not happen when the GST is implemented … we do expect to see a one-time spike in inflation to around 3.5% to 3.8% due to (among others) speculators and profiteers,” Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said.