‘Set high price thresholds for certain goods’

PETALING JAYA: Local industry players are calling for the government to set high price thresholds for goods that could be included under the high-value goods tax.

Malaysian EV Owners Club president Datuk Shahrol Halmi said electric vehicles (EVs) need to be given reasonably high price thresholds due to the emerging status of the industry locally.

“Given the government’s push for EV adoption, it wouldn’t make sense to have a low tax threshold for EVs as this would just discourage EV adoption, especially among those with lower income.

“This could hurt local EV demand which would hurt the interest in investing in the EV ecosystem that in turn would deprive us of the latest EV technological developments and innovation.”

He recommended that a high threshold and low tax rate be set first for EVs which could then be revisited once EV adoption meets certain milestones.