Traders cannot charge GST before Apr 1, 2015 - Ahmad Maslan

Deputy Minister of Finance Datuk Ahmad Maslan on Thursday, issued a directive barring hoteliers and restaurateurs from charging goods and services tax (GST) on their customers before April 1, 2015.

He said there were restaurateurs and traders who have started imposing GST and were printing the tax on the customers' receipts.

"When enquired about the tax, they said the GST is the Government Service Tax. This has to be stopped immediately.

"I'm issuing a directive that no business outlets should use the word "GST".

There is no such thing as the Government Service Tax, what the government is going to implement is the goods and services tax," he told reporters after the Federal Territories-level National Economic Empowerment seminar here, Thursday.

The six per cent GST will replace the current 16 per cent sales and services tax (SST) charged for certain goods and services such as food and beverages served at hotels and restaurants.