Tourism tax to be enforced from July 1 - Minister

The ''Tourism Tax'' which is set to see rates of between RM2.50 to RM20 charged for a night's stay will be enforced as scheduled on July 1, said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He thus rejected a report from a news portal which claimed the implementation of the tax would be postponed.

"The gazette (on Tourism Tax) is automatic, in accordance with the country's procedures, when it is approved by the Parliament, the gazette is automatic. If we want to say it has not been gazetted, that's right, but it cannot prevent the will of our MPs who have unanimously approved to implement this tax, and it will be implemented. So our target is July 1," he said when met by reporters after opening the ''Perfect China Seminar - The New Beginning'' here, tonight.

The Padang Rengas MP said tax would be applied at registered hotels and inns.

During the last session of Parliament, the Tourism Tax Bill 2017 tabled by Mohamed Nazri was approved by majority vote.

When winding up debate on the bill, Mohamed Nazri said the tax would be able to bring in an income of about RM654.62 million if there was a 60 per cent occupancy rate at over 11 million hotel rooms in the country.

Addressing some 3,500 Perfect China delegates from China earlier, Mohamed Nazri said that convening the event in Malaysia was in line with the government''s aspiration under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) to position the country as a preferred Business Event (BE) or Meeting, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (MICE) hub.

"Indeed, all Perfect China delegates are now Malaysia's tourism ambassadors. We hope that you will make the most of your visit here and experience the many wonders of Malaysia and take home very fond and pleasant memories of your stay in our country," the minister said.

He noted that throughout its 23 years of establishment, Perfect China had hosted more than 80 incentive trips overseas, and since 2011, had hosted such trips to Malaysia.

BERNAMA