KENINGAU: A businessman here fully supports the decision of the government to continue collecting Sabah Sales Tax (SST) if it really benefits the people and the state.
“For me, retention of SST can increase the state’s revenue and I fully support the government’s efforts not to stop SST when GST is implemented in 2015,” Kapitan Jack Chen told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
He said any action that is beneficial to the state and people need to be supported. Besides, SST is not a burden to the people.
Chen said, SST only involves several items such as the slot machines, lottery and crude palm oil as stated by the Chief Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman when winding up a speech for the Ministry of Finance and when replying to issues raised by an opposition representative such as the impact of SST when GST was implemented at the State Legislative Assembly sitting recently.
“For me, the whole thing does not involve people’s lives and ithe SST should be continued because it is one of the state’s revenue sources.
“I support the decision of the state government in order to boost the economy and the state’s revenue sources,” he said.
Chen believes that people would also support continuation of SST as the government still has a lot of infrastructure development to be carried especially in rural areas.
The rural population still needed development such as water, electricity, roads and other infrastructure, and with the retention of SST it could assist the state government to increase its funds to implement development projects for the convenience of the people, said who is also Keningau MCA chief.