Govt will not compromise with traders abusing GST - Hasan

The government will not compromise with those traders deceiving consumers by raising the price of goods by adding the Sales and Services Tax (SST) even after imposing the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister, Datuk Seri Hasan Malek said the action of those "mean and greedy" traders not only betrayed consumers but it also affected the nation's aspirations to improve the tax system.

"Starting April 1, the government abolished the 10 per cent SST and replaced it with the GST which is only six per cent, and the government has made this clear to all parties.

"Moreover, there are also reports of traders imposing GST on customers but they (traders) are not registered with the Customs Department. This is also an offence, and we have taken action against those companies," he told reporters here Saturday.

He said the government promised to treat all complaints objectively, but at the same time urged the public to provide detailed information so that the authorities could take appropriate action.

He said the government had provided many round-the-clock question and complaint centres to provide answers pertaining to GST and to receive complaints on GST abuses from the public.

Until now, the ministry has only received about 200 complaints compared with more than 7,000 complaints in April.

Earlier, Hasan inaugurated the exhibition booths of Malaysian companies participating in Malaysia's Franchise Promotion Mission in Jakarta.