Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 23.9.2016.
The Customs Department stated that the government remains confident of achieving the RM39 billion Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue target this year despite a 30% decline in collection in the second-quarter of 2016 (2Q16) from RM10.2 billion in 1Q16 to RM7.1 billion in 2Q16. The RM 3.1 billion drop(30%) in GST collection for the 2nd quarter of 2016 proves that the GST had resulted in the rakyat facing poorer business and less income, until the 4% economic growth in the 2nd quarter has no positive benefit to the people.
Clearly the Federal government will face a shortfall in the expected revenue of RM39 billion as they have only collected RM17.2 billion from GST for the first half of this year, way below the targeted yearly revenue of RM39 billion. Petronas will only be paying RM16 billion to the government this year, half of the amount contributed before the drop in global oil prices.
The Federal government should not try to cover the GST revenue shortfall by victimising businessmen in the form of tax investigations to squeeze more money for the BN Federal government. Many businessmen have complained of unreasonable demands and double-standards of the Internal Revenue Service(IRS), when the IRS failed to do the same on BN politicians receiving huge donations.
Worse, GST is also imposed on state governments and local government carrying out public works projects such as roads, drains and community halls even though it is not for profit but for the public benefit of the rakyat. This unnecessary cost has only imposed a greater burden on the state and local governments. For example, the Penang state and local governments as well as state agencies have to pay RM48 million yearly in GST to the Federal government.
Since the BN Federal government likes to sing the praises of GST because it is inplemented by many developed countries, then the BN Federal government should emulate their example of distributing the GST collected back to the states. For example, in Australia any GST collected in a state is fully returned back to the state. Here in Malaysia, state governments not only do not get a single cent of GST collected but have to pay GST.
There is no need to implement the GST if the Federal government takes firm and decisive action against corruption. The Federal government ran out of money because of corruption scandals such as 1MDB and the RM4.2 billion donation scandal.
LIM GUAN ENG
槟州首席部长林冠英于2016年9月23日在乔治市光大发表文告:
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2016年第二季消费税税收重挫30%或31亿令吉，显示出人民正在面对生意欠佳和收入减少的窘境，在一片水深火热中苦苦求存。而国内所谓的4%经济成长率，显然并未对人民带来任何正面的益处。
国内关税局指出，2016年第一季的消费税税收为102亿令吉，而第二季的税收则为71亿令吉，尽管收入下挫30%，但该局仍有信心在2016年全年的消费税上赚取390亿令吉的税收。2016年第二季消费税税收重挫30%或31亿令吉，已显示出人民正在面对生意欠佳和收入减少的窘境，在一片水深火热中苦苦求存。而国内所谓的4%经济成长率，显然并未对人民带来任何正面的益处。
显而易见的，联邦政府在年底之际，必然会面对税收不如预期的390亿令吉，因为在这半年（两季）来，消费税只收取了172亿令吉，低于原先的目标。而今年，国油仅会上缴160亿令吉予政府，比全球油价下跌前少了一半。
联邦政府不能因为消费税税收不足，而把矛头放在商人之上，对他们做出各种千奇百怪的调查，以压榨他们，为联邦政府收取更多的金钱。许多商人已经怨声载道，对有关当局不合理与双重标准的态度感到不满，尤其看到税收局没有对收取巨额捐款的国阵政客采取行动时，他们更是火上添油。
更糟糕的是，州政府及地方政府在公共工程方面，如建设道路、沟渠及民众会堂，即使不是为了获利而是让人民获益却也被征收消费税。这不必要的成本开销无疑只是加重了州政府及地方政府的负担。例如，槟城州政府、地方政府及州政府官联机构每年得缴交4800万令吉给联邦政府。
既然国阵联邦政府喜欢歌颂消费税只因为它也在先进国家实施，那么国阵联邦政府就应该同样效法这些先进国家将所征收的消费税拨回给州政府。例如在澳洲，一州所征收的消费税将悉数拨回给该州，相反的在马来西亚，州政府不但无法从征收的消费税中获得一分一毫，反而还要缴交消费税。
如果联邦政府坚决打击贪污，根本就不用征收消费税。联邦政府之所以“钱不够用”是因为MDB的贪污丑闻及420亿令吉的捐款丑闻。
林冠英