DAP Sabah unhappy with GST announcement

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KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah is disappointed with BN’s recent announcement that the GST (Good and Services Tax) will be implemented after an agreement was reached with the business sector.

Junz Wong, DAP Sabah state assistant secretary asked why the government was seeking the business community’s opinion when it was the rakyat that would be heavily affected.

“Businesses will just easily pass on the burden of GST to the consumers when GST is implemented,” he said.

Junz refuted claims by the BN government that implementing GST would help cope with the government financial health index and boost economic growth.

“Look at countries like France, Greece, Italy, Spain, etc; they all have implemented GST and what have happened to their economies today? “It is the government’s failure in its economic policies and management/allocation of the nation’s resources which caused the problems,” Junz said.

“If this government were to continue its corrupt practices, cronyism and nepotism, even if it were to implement GST at 20 per cent, it will still be useless except to lead Malaysia into quicker bankruptcy such as one faced by Greece.”

Junz Wong who is also DAPSY KK assistant Youth Chief added that the GST was supposed to be about the state raising new revenues to boost its emptying coffers.

“If GST comes on the back of an unreformed taxation system, it’ll be massively unfair to the rakyat.

BN has yet to even consider reviewing the taxation system which is supposed to go simultaneously with implementation of GST.

“Without net income gains for Malaysians and a reformed taxation system, plus removal of other economic distortions, the cost burden on Malaysians will be enormously disadvantageous and inequitable.

“Most Malaysians will be squeezed tighter with less purchasing power, moving downwards towards the poverty bracket and the poor will get poorer.

“So people, you have heard it. BN government will implement without your opinion. Though BN has failed to mention the date as to when the GST would be implemented, there is no doubt that this will happen after the next general election,” Junz said.