Nod for GST Bill

Publication: NST

Date of publication: Apr 8, 2014

Section heading: Main Section

Page number: 018

Byline / Author: By Zarina Zakariah

KUALA LUMPUR: THE Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill 2014 was passed after the third reading in Parliament yesterday.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia announced the bill was passed at 8pm last night after it was debated for seven hours by members of parliament.

The decision was made after the ballot voting was done twice.

The first vote resulted in 118 yeas and 81 nays.

Datuk Mahfuz Omar (Pas-Pokok Sena) requested a second vote and this produced 119 yeas for the bill while the nays remained at 81.

During the voting, opposition MPs were seen carrying placards objecting to the bill.

Barisan Nasional MPs then urged the Speaker to take action against the opposition MPs for acting in a demeanour that was deemed insulting to the House.

Pandikar finally reprimanded the opposition MPs after Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) claimed that bringing in placards was not an offence.

The bill will now go through the Dewan Negara before it can be gazetted.

It is expected to be implemented on April 1 next year.

The bill was first tabled on March 31 by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, with second reading by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah later.

The GST was announced at 6 per cent by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the 2014 Budget to make way for a more structured taxation system and to reduce tax redundancy.

Ahmad, during yesterday's winding up session, said the GST would have a positive affect on the country's exports and gross domestic product growth.