Ministry to conduct operations against SST manipulators

KUCHING: Enforcement officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) will conduct operations to track down traders and service providers who manipulate the Sales and Services Tax (SST).

Its Sarawak deputy director Md Nawawi Abdul Rahman said the move was to ensure that all traders and service providers do not take advantage of the SST implementation which came into effect on Sept1.

According to him, a total of 203 enforcement officers and 98 other officers to monitor pricing will be deployed in the operation to be conducted throughout the state.

He said the operation will also include 3,000 ‘KPDNHEP partners’ who have been manually registered with the ministry in Sarawak.

“As a precautionary measure, we will carry out strategic alliances with all available sources to track down traders and service providers who use SST as a ground to gain profit from their customers,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Nawawi stressed that anyone who is found to have committed the offence can be fined under the Price Control and AntiProfiteering Act 2011.

He said for companies, the penalty for the first offence is not more than RM500,000 and not more than RM1 million for subsequent offences.

“For individuals, the penalty for the first offence is not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both while subsequent offences would see the perpetrator fined not more than RM250,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both,” he added.

On that note, Nawawi said as of 12 midnight yesterday, the state KPDNHEP had received four complaints from the public regarding SST.

“The complaints were regarding the service charges and we have referred these complaints to the Customs Department for further action.”

However, he said the ministry did not receive any complaints regarding the increase in prices from the public.