BPN payment: No late issue, says LHDN

The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) denies that there is a late payment issue for applicants of the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) who have been approved and who have provided correct bank account numbers.

In a statement yesterday, LHDN said all BPN payment were based on a timeline set by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) which had also also listed the conditions to qualify for BPN in a statement issued on March 29.

"For the first phase, 8.3 million recipients had been approved and payment had been made by stages beginning April 6 with a RM9.3 billion allocation.

"For new applications and appeals which were opened until April 30, 2.3 million new BPN recipients and appeals had been approved with financial implication amounting to RM1.7 billion," explained LHDN.

The explanation of the board was in response to a letter from a local newspaper reader who, among others, claimed that there was an issue of late BPN payment, the shutting down of LHDN telephone lines and the inability of senior citizens in using information technology system besides risking COVID-19 infection if they go to the LHDN branches.

In explaining the telephone line issue, LHDN said all its branches including the Revenue Service Centre (PKH) had been closed to check the proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic and this was informed via a media statement dated March 17.

''All telephone calls to LHDN branches had been closed and the automatic telephone answering system had been activated to announce the closure.

''But, nevertheless, any feedback can be channelled to the Hasil Care Line (HCL) at 03-8911 1000 / 603-89111100 (Abroad), Hasil Live Chat and LHDNM Customer Feedback Portal at quick link https://maklumbalaspelanggan.hasil.gov.my/MaklumBalas/ms-my/," said LHDN.

Nevertheless, telephone services at all its branches had resumed on April 29 and May 4 (except in Urban Transformation Centres), from 8 am to 4.30 pm.

"As such there is a possibility that the writer had called during the period when LHDN premises were closed due to Movement Control Order (MCO)," said LHDN, adding that until April 30 the board had answered almost 230,000 calls, emails and chats.

Regarding the issue of senior citizens, LHDN said BPN applications and appeals could be made without going to the counters, via online, while appeals could be made by emailing the documents to rayuanbpn@hasil.gov.my.

-- BERNAMA