Govt mulls GST exemption for certain groups

The government will consider the proposal for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) exemption for certain groups of people such as the disabled, students and the poor, who are registered with E-Kasih.

Deputy Finance Minister, Datuk Ahmad Maslan said since its implementation, the tax has helped to reduce the impact on low-income earners, by not charging GST on all raw and basic food items.

"We provide the most GST exemption when compared with other countries with this tax," he said when replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong) at the Dewan Rakyat sitting here, Monday.

To an earlier question by Shamsul Anuar, Ahmad said as of May 10, the Customs Department had received 4,849 complaints about GST and Anti-Profiteering offences and opened 13 investigation papers of which 11 are being investigated and 44 cases are to be brought to court.

Ahmad said the government would continue to intensify enforcement against traders who abused prices to ensure stable prices of goods as should be after the deduction of the Sales and Service tax (SST).

"Now what is happening is traders are not deducting the SST and adding on the GST, making prices which should decrease or stay put to increase.

"This is not the fault of GST but the traders, this is what makes consumers angry, we hope that within six months to a year these prices will stabilise," he said.