Details of RM1 bil package for tourism players will be out next month

Tourist arrivals, a major source of income for the country, has stopped following the MCO, hurting the sector badly.

PETALING JAYA: Tax relief, salary subsidies and a RM1 billion financing scheme announced by the government today will allow tourism players to stay afloat and competitive during the new normal, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri said today.

These initiatives were announced by the prime minister under the RM35 billion Short-term Economy Restoration Plan (Penjana).

In a statement, Nancy said details of the RM1 billion financing package would be released by Bank Negara Malaysia next month.

“The initiatives announced by the PM show that he is concerned about the grouses raised by those who had come to me personally.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri.

“The PM is also very concerned about those in the creative, entertainment and events industry.

“Several programmes and finance packages worth RM225 million will be implemented through cooperation with MyCreative Ventures, Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation and private parties,” she said.

Nancy listed out some of the tax incentives offered under the Penjana stimulus package:

• Tourism agencies, hotel operators and airliners, who have been offered a moratorium on payment of estimated taxes, payable from April 1 to Sept 30, will have this period extended by another three months until Dec 31;
• Full exemption of tourism tax from July 1 to June 30, 2021;
• Exemption on service tax for all hotels and other types of accommodation extended from Sept 1 to June 30, 2021.
• RM 1,000 tax relief for those travelling domestically has been extended until December 2021.

- FMT