Govt to address GST question in Parliament on Sept 18

PETALING JAYA: The government will respond to queries on whether or not it will reinstate the goods and services tax (GST) on Monday (Sept 18), says Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

He said feedback from MPs had been received and the matter will be addressed in the Dewan Rakyat.

“I will answer on Monday since it has been raised a few times by several people in their speeches (in Parliament).

“On Wednesday (Sept 13), I met government MPs to get their feedback on Budget 2024. A number of them attended and there were questions raised regarding GST.

“I’ve informed everyone that I will address it on Monday after a session with the Prime Minister’s Office,” he was quoted as saying by Malay daily Sinar Harian on Thursday (Sept 14).

On Sept 7, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong urged Putrajaya to reintroduce GST with several improvements such as an exemption list, zero-rated supply and giving financial aid to the poor with the increased government revenue.

His suggestion was supported by several economists who agreed that GST should only be revived if there was a clearer mechanism on its implementation.

On Monday (Sept 11), Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the government was open to reintroducing GST as one of its strategies to widen the revenue base to achieve fiscal sustainability.