Customs Department targets 17,000 firms to sign up for GST

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department targets another 17,000 companies to register for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) before its implementation next month.

Its director-general, Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad, said until now, 352,263 companies nationwide had registered for GST and the figure was expected to reach 370,000 firms next month.

"With the remainder of the period, we must ensure the tax system will be implemented smoothly and we will continue to look for firms which have still not registered under special operations 'Ops GST'.

"The operations started on March 1 and 5,000 firms have registered," he told a media briefing after officiating the close of a course at the Melaka Customs Academy here today.

He said Ops GST would continue three months after the implementation of GST to ensure more companies would register for the tax.

Meanwhile, Khazali said, the department would discuss with the relevant authorities on GST for consultation fees in private hospitals.

"The discussions would be on March 18," he said.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, said the ministry would present the views of the doctors in the private hospitals to the Customs Department.