PIKOM to lobby for exemption from GST for ICT products

PIKOM, the National ICT Association of Malaysia, still wants the government to exempt information and communications technology (ICT) products from the goods and services tax (GST).

It has submitted the same request this year as one of its 2016 Budget wishlists, said association chairman, Cheah Kok Hoong.

He said last year, PIKOM failed to get the government to zero-rate the ICT products.

"We have not given up in our bid, especially for the hardware items," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organsiation-PIKOM ICT Leadership Summit here Wednesday.

The summit is held from Oct 6-7.

Cheah said the association had to do it to protect industry players.

"Before the implementation of the GST on April 1, 2015, PIKOM had issued a statement saying that there will be a price increase of 30 percent for the ICT products," he said.

However, he said, the price increases may not be due entirely to GST as there were other factors like exchange rate and inflation.

The 2016 Budget will be tabled on Oct 23.