PUTRAJAYA: Some businessmen have been reported to have increased the prices of goods because they expected the prices to fall once the Goods and Services Tax (GST) starts on April 1, 2015.
Deputy Finance Minister, Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who received the complaints via WhatsApp, said the government viewed the irresponsible actions seriously because the GST was not aimed at burdening the rakyat.
“As an example, the businessmen will raise the prices of the clothes by 10 per cent now, knowing that the GST will only be imposed at six per cent,” he said.
Ahmad said this to reporters after launching the Ministry of Finance’s ‘Merdeka Drive 2014’ here yesterday.
“This is what we regretted because the GST is not meant to burden the rakyat in the purchase of essential goods. Already some businessmen have raised the prices before the GST implementation,” he said.
Ahmad wanted the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism to monitor the situation and act against the irresponsible businessmen. — Bernama