{"title":"马来西亚商品与服务税(GST)的不合时宜消亡:事后总结与未来之路","authors":"Suresh Narayanan, Abdul Rais Abdul Latiff","doi":"10.1162/asep_a_00883","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"\n We discuss the reasons for the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia, its subsequent abolition, and the factors to consider if it is to be reinstated. The GST was implemented hastily to rein in mounting government deficits and debt. The lack of preparation to address its impact on the general price level, and incomes of poorer households in an economy already predisposed to inflation, led to widespread public discontent. The high compliance costs borne by smaller firms, delays in providing tax refunds to businesses, and the wasteful use of the additional revenues the tax generated strengthened the anti-GST sentiment. Any attempt to bring back the GST must focus on gaining acceptance rather than the revenue it generates. This is best achieved by timing its reintroduction correctly, keeping the rate low, the base broad, and implementing parallel measures to supplement the incomes of households seriously undermined by the tax on the consumption side. Additionally, addressing leakages, waste, and corruption in the public sector will strengthen public acceptance of the tax and instill confidence in public sector fiscal management.","PeriodicalId":52020,"journal":{"name":"Asian Economic Papers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"The Untimely Demise of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia: A Postmortem and the Way Forward\",\"authors\":\"Suresh Narayanan, Abdul Rais Abdul Latiff\",\"doi\":\"10.1162/asep_a_00883\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"\\n We discuss the reasons for the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia, its subsequent abolition, and the factors to consider if it is to be reinstated. The GST was implemented hastily to rein in mounting government deficits and debt. The lack of preparation to address its impact on the general price level, and incomes of poorer households in an economy already predisposed to inflation, led to widespread public discontent. The high compliance costs borne by smaller firms, delays in providing tax refunds to businesses, and the wasteful use of the additional revenues the tax generated strengthened the anti-GST sentiment. Any attempt to bring back the GST must focus on gaining acceptance rather than the revenue it generates. This is best achieved by timing its reintroduction correctly, keeping the rate low, the base broad, and implementing parallel measures to supplement the incomes of households seriously undermined by the tax on the consumption side. Additionally, addressing leakages, waste, and corruption in the public sector will strengthen public acceptance of the tax and instill confidence in public sector fiscal management.\",\"PeriodicalId\":52020,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Asian Economic Papers\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":5.3000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-01-08\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Asian Economic Papers\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"96\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1162/asep_a_00883\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"经济学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"ECONOMICS\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Asian Economic Papers","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1162/asep_a_00883","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
The Untimely Demise of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia: A Postmortem and the Way Forward
We discuss the reasons for the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia, its subsequent abolition, and the factors to consider if it is to be reinstated. The GST was implemented hastily to rein in mounting government deficits and debt. The lack of preparation to address its impact on the general price level, and incomes of poorer households in an economy already predisposed to inflation, led to widespread public discontent. The high compliance costs borne by smaller firms, delays in providing tax refunds to businesses, and the wasteful use of the additional revenues the tax generated strengthened the anti-GST sentiment. Any attempt to bring back the GST must focus on gaining acceptance rather than the revenue it generates. This is best achieved by timing its reintroduction correctly, keeping the rate low, the base broad, and implementing parallel measures to supplement the incomes of households seriously undermined by the tax on the consumption side. Additionally, addressing leakages, waste, and corruption in the public sector will strengthen public acceptance of the tax and instill confidence in public sector fiscal management.
期刊介绍:
The journal Asian Economic Papers (AEP) is supported by several prominent institutions, including the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University in the United States. This shows that there is a strong emphasis on sustainable development within the journal's scope. Additionally, the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy in South Korea, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Malaysia, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia in Indonesia also sponsor AEP. The articles published in AEP focus on conducting thorough and rigorous analyses of significant economic issues pertaining to specific Asian economies or the broader Asian region. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of these issues and provide innovative solutions. By offering creative solutions to economic challenges, AEP contributes to the discourse and policymaking that impact the Asian economies and region as a whole.