GST: Report errant traders through 'EZ Complaint'

Consumers who face problems with errant traders after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on April 1 may channel their complaints via smart phones.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) Minister, Datuk Hasan Malek said through the application 'EZ Complaint', consumers would be able to channel complaints in photograph form as evidence, direct to the E-Complaint system.

'EZ Complaint' was developed in collaboration with the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) under the '1Gov App Store' programme, he said.

"This application has several features to facilitate consumers complaints, among them 'GEOTAG', whereby consumers need not submit the premises address and fill in the complaint number for status update.

"Consumers' profile, e-mail notification and other information related will only be required when downloading the application for the first time," he said when officiating the national-level 2015 Price Reduction Campaign at the Store supermarket, Kuantan Parade here, Sunday.

Also present were Pahang Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Seri Shahiruddin Ab Moin and The Store Group Senior General Manager of Operations, Winky Pek.

In addition, Hasan also informed that KPDNKK Consumer Complaints Management Centre received a total of 14,089 complaints relating to consumer issues in 2014, which was a 19 percent increase from the previous year's 11,851.

"Of the total complaints received last year, 95.87 percent or 13,507 complaints were resolved compared to 10,864 or 91.7 per cent in 2013," he said.

Hasan added that the increase in the number of complaints was due to the successful campaigns and consumer education programmes held in raising consumer awareness of their rights.

In addition, the media's widespread publicity on the success of enforcement operations also assured consumers that the ministry would take heed of their complaints, he added.