KUANTAN: The government is to continue explaining the proposed implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in all parliamentary constituencies after completing the ongoing state-level explanation, said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan.
He said that after providing the explanation in Pahang, he would do so in Sabah, Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan. The state-level explanation had been completed in 10 states.
“After the state-level explanation, the explanation at the level of the parliamentary constituency will begin in February,” he told reporters after the Pahang-level session attended by more than 2,000 people, here.
Ahmad said MPs, divisional chiefs and local leaders helped to identify the villages and the briefing was not restricted to the GST but also included the government aid for the people.
He said the government would continue with its explanation of the GST despite the attempts at sabotage by certain quarters through demonstrations urging the government not to implement it.
As announced in Budget 2014, the broad-based consumption tax will be enforced on April 1, 2015, and pegged at six per cent, replacing the 16 per cent Sales and Services Tax.
“We will continue to provide the explanation because the GST is the best taxation system, enforced in 160 countries. There is no other better system of taxation,” he said.
Ahmad said the opposition political parties were against the GST but, at the same time, they were unable to offer an alternative.
Meanwhile, asked on the alleged delay in the distribution of the RM100 schooling aid vouchers, Ahmad said it could have been due to the distribution schedule at the level of the state education offices.
He said the aid of RM540 million had been channelled since Jan 15 for the benefit of 5.4 million students throughout the country. —Bernama