by Conny Banji, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on October 29, 2013, Tuesday
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| IT’S OPEN: Mawan unveils the plaque as (from right) Alexander, Aaron and Brian (partly hidden) look on. |
KANOWIT: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) to be implemented from April 2015 is fairer to the people when compared to the present taxation system.
In stating this, Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom added that other than being able to reduce ‘leakages’ in the country’s tax collection, GST allowed the people to determine the amount of tax they wanted to pay through their expenditure pattern.
“You choose what you want to pay based on your daily expenditure compared to income tax whereby your money is taken before you spend it.
“GST can be considered as giving the people freedom to choose whether to pay tax,” he said when met at Rumah Brian Langit in Sungai Jih here Saturday.
Among those present were Kanowit MP Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent and his wife Susan Clement, and Tuai Rumah Brian Langit.
Mawan said more than 160 countries had implemented GST and this showed that it was the best taxation system so far.
He said in most developed countries GST had continued to be their main source of revenue.
“All countries implementing GST have goals so that their revenue can be generated sustainably through tax collection.
“That is why none of these countries have abolished their GST because it is more efficient and fairer than other taxation systems,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, Aaron said GST would not have much impact on the people.
“As we can see, 60 per cent of an individual’s income is spent on food whereby tax is not imposed on food.
“Also excluded from tax are health, housing, public transportation and education services,” he said.
Later, Mawan officiated at the opening of the new longhouse – Rumah Brian.
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