Wong Ching Yong
SIBU (Oct 29): Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman, Wong Ching Yong, hopes that the government will abolish the Sales and Services Tax (SST), and reintroduce Goods and Services Tax (GST).
He stated this yesterday as among his wishes for the 2022 Budget expected to be tabled today.
“Abolish SST which has a taxable rate of six per cent. Reintroduce GST at a taxable rate of two per cent.
“(Also) Abolish the five per cent Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT) for the disposal of real properties owned by an individual for more than five years.
“Prior to 2019, no RPGT if ownership is more than five years,” said Wong, who is also Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) deputy chairman.
He also suggested that for first-time house buyers, the government should provide a down payment assistance of RM50,000.
“We hope the government will prioritise home ownership as a key national policy with concrete policy for instance, interest free loan up to RM300,000 payable within 25 years,” he said.
However, he noted that the government shall re-write the present Income Tax Act 1967 which is out of date in view of the vast changes in commerce and trade especially digital economy.
Meanwhile, Taman Selera Harmoni Sibu Muslim Traders Association chairman Abdul Taib Rosli hopes that there will be assistance under the new budget for small-medium entrepreneurs, who have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He pointed out that this was because they were still reeling from the effect of Covid-19 and that there were those who had to close shop.
The young entrepreneur also suggested for a business start-up assistance be made to the youths because some of them had lost their livelihoods due to Covid-19.
Abdul Taib Rosli
“The assistance can be channelled through simple procedures through banks or government agencies involved to help them,” he suggested further.
Additionally, Abdul Taib suggested that the laptop or gadget assistance scheme implemented by the federal government be continued and even extended to the M40 group so that it can help parents motivate their children to participate in Home-based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) and indirectly attract students to the digital world.
On housing, he commended and supported the efforts of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg in helping the youths or those not owning a house with a RM10,000 deposit grant to first home buyers in Sarawak.
“I think if the federal government can inject funds or expand the effort through the National Housing Department, I am sure more people will feel and benefit from the effort,” opined Abdul Taib.
Former Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (Saberkas) Nangka branch secretary, Mohd Safree Mohd, hopes there will be focus on the improvement of welfare assistance for the people still reeling from the effects of Covid-19 as well as to help all sectors of business affected by Covid-19.
Touching on education, he reckoned that the government should also help parents and students studying in institutions of higher learning and even at schools, in stages towards free education.
He also called for internet coverage to be strengthened in rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak.
Mohd Safree Mohd
In addition, Mohd Safree suggested for the retirement age of civil servants to be lowered from 60 to 56 to give others the opportunity to fill vacancies after compulsory retirement.
On his wish list for Budget 2022, permanent chairman of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia), Munan Laja, suggested for the allocation of enough funds for the survey of NCR land under Section 18 (Sarawak Land Code), internet access in rural areas of Sarawak and setting aside allocation for Dayaks who were left behind in rural areas.
Munan Laja
The 2022 Budget is expected to be tabled in Parliament today.