KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government should emulate the states of Johor and Pulau Pinang in exempting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for its government services, Dr. Roland Chia, the Inanam assemblyman and PKR Sepanggar chief urged.
In a statement issued yesterday, Dr. Roland Chia said, the Sabah Government should not absorb the GST, but instead must be brave enough to seek exemption from Putrajaya on GST for its government services, like, for example projects, services and contracts carried out by the local authorities.
The state should also waive the GST collected from the people on parking fees, rentals of land and buildings and any form of licenses.
According to him, the Sabah Government should take this opportunity to negotiate for more from Putrajaya since the Prime Minister himself, who is also the finance minister, had confessed that he owes the people of Sabah for his premiership during his trip to Sabah last Sunday to Tawau and Kota Belud yesterday.
Dr. Roland Chia said, he salutes Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, who recently said that it does not make sense as government services are a basic responsibility to the rakyat and it is unreasonable that the rakyat should be further burdened with paying GST on them.
Sabahans should all the more enjoy this exemption since we are the top producers in oil and gas and crude palm oil. We deserve to be recognised for our role in nation building and development and for contributing much to the federal coffers.
“In the April 2015 State Assembly sitting, I had asked the Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Infrastructure whether SESB and the Water Works Department will or not impose GST on their tariffs. Up until today, the question has not been answered,” Dr. Roland revealed.
“I hope the Prime Minister would make good on his words when he said that he owes much to the people of Sabah,” Dr. Roland said.