PUTRAJAYA, Jan 7 ― The Customs Department is eyeing to add 100,000 businesses into the Goods and Services Tax (GST) programme this year in a special nationwide operation.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad said his department had come up with the figure based on checks of businesses that qualified to impose the consumption tax.

"We started this operation so we could track down those who are qualified but have yet to register and persuade them to do so. We’re targetting around 100,000 in 2016," he told a news conference here after launching the “Ops Jejak GST 2016” that is to roll out between January 17 and 22.

"Another thing, we would also check in with the registered businesses and see whether they have done correctly in terms of tax invoices," Khazali said, adding that the operation would run day and night.

He stressed that the objective of the operation is not to "punish" businesses, but was a way to educate them, especially those who were still struggling to understand GST.

However, Khazali warned those who could not give good reasons for not registering would receive a penalty of RM15, 000.

Companies with an annual turnover of RM500,000 are required to register under GST.

GST was first implemented on April 1 last year.