Luxury tax details in June, says Ahmad Maslan

 

Prime minister and finance minister Anwar Ibrahim said luxury items like watches would be taxed when he tabled the national budget last month. (Freepik pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will announce the details of the luxury tax in June, deputy finance minister Ahmad Maslan told the Dewan Rakyat.

He said the ministry was in the midst of fine-tuning the details.

“We are reviewing various aspects including what goods (that the tax would be imposed on), when to implement (the tax), and the rate we want to impose,” Ahmad said when winding up the debate on the 2023 budget.

Prime minister and finance minister Anwar Ibrahim said luxury items like watches would be taxed when he tabled the national budget last month.

Retailers have since urged the government to rethink and withdraw the proposed tax as it would deter tourists from visiting the country while a retailers organisation said that it could create a black market for expensive goods.

67 projects under Jana Wibawa

On a separate matter, Ahmad revealed that 67 projects were awarded to Bumiputera contractors under the Jana Wibawa programme, currently being probed by the authorities.

These projects, awarded when Perikatan Nasional was in power, were worth a total of RM7.163 billion, he said.

Of the 67, Ahmad said that 42 were linked to the rural development ministry, as well as seven to the environment and water ministry (now known as natural resources, environment and climate change ministry).

The remaining projects were related to the education ministry (4), higher education ministry (4), works ministry (3), the Prime Minister’s Department (2), the Implementation Coordination Unit (2), health ministry (1), federal territories ministry (1) and defence ministry (1). - FMT