MIC Youth wants impending toll and electricity tariff hikes, GST to be reviewed

Published: Tuesday December 31, 2013 MYT 6:33:00 PM 

Updated: Tuesday December 31, 2013 MYT 7:12:43 PM

BY D. KANYAKUMARI

MIC Youth Secretary P. Punithan handing over a memorandum to
the Prime Minister’s Office’s Assistant Secretary Nurul Amizah Jaslee Tuesday.

PUTRAJAYA: MIC Youth wants the government to review the contracts with highway concessionaires and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to keep toll rates and electricity tariffs stable.

Youth Secretary P. Punithan said the contracts benefited the concessionaires and IPPs with the increases built in which burdened the people with a higher cost of living.

"Put all the increases in electricity tariff and the toll rates on hold until the agreements are reviewed and revised," he said on Tuesday after he and a group of other Youth leaders presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office’s Assistant Secretary Nurul Amizah Jaslee.

MIC Youth wants separate Parliamentary select committees to be formed to review the contracts with the highway concessionaires and the IPPs.

They also want the Goods and Services Tax (GST), scheduled to be implemented in April, 2015, to be axed.

If it is introduced, MIC Youth want the rate to be reduced to 3% from 6%.

It wants another Parliamentary select committee to be formed to review all aspects of the GST and its impact of the people.

Punithan also said that the government should also look into cutting administrative costs and reducing wastage.

He urged Ministry of Finance, especially the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), to revise its agreements with all suppliers to help shave costs.

When met outside the Prime Ministers office, he said these issues were critical as they would trigger a chain reaction, causing an increase in the prices of basic necessities.

"Three days ago, the price of ice cubes went up, considering the number of things undergoing a price hikes, this will burden the public at large," he said.

When asked about the Prime Minister's 11 cost cutting measures, Punithan said it was timely but would not be really effective as the amount involved was not that big.