Don't charge 5% service tax, hotels and outlets reminded

THE Customs Department has reminded hotel and restaurant operators not to charge their customers the 5% service tax from June 1 till Dec 31 in accordance with the recently announced waiver, Nanyang Siang Pau reported. 

Some 940 hotels and 2,600 restaurants are allowed to collect the service tax under the Service Tax Act 1975, but under the economic stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the collection has been waived for the above period.