PUTRAJAYA, Aug 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today again indicated his hesitation to reintroduce the Goods and Services Tax during a dialogue with businesses and ministries ahead of the tabling of Budget 2027, slated for October.
But Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, suggested that he is open to incorporating some “elements” of the consumption levy, if it helps improve the Sales and Services Tax.
“We are open to studying ways to improve the tax system,” he told reporters after attending the Budget 2027 engagement session at the Finance Ministry here.
“But if we are talking about GST alone, my concern, as I have said repeatedly, is that this means taxing everyone,” Anwar added.
Earlier during the dialogue Anwar said he had made public his view that GST is the most efficient tax system as far back as the 1990s, when he was then finance minister under the first Mahathir administration.
MORE TO COME
