Price tags of goods should state GST charge: Fomca

The government should make it compulsory for all traders to label all goods with Goods and Services Tax (GST) details regardless of whether they are levied with GST or not to alert consumers.

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) group communications director Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said such labels should be placed on price tags on display.

"It is to facilitate consumers see the pre and post-GST prices," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Nonetheless, Mohd Yusof said, the matter of GST should not rest solely on the shoulders of traders as consumers should refer to the 'Consumer Price Guide' produced by the Customs Department in cooperation with the Finance Ministry.

A total of two million copies of the guide have been distributed since January which lists 500 selected goods levied with GST and the book can be obtained from the offices of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK).

Apart from that, Mohd Yusof said consumers should familiarise themselves with model receipts of purchases displayed in the book, and forward any complaints to the authorities if they feel cheated.

"Consumers should be alert on the current prices, the price exhibited by the traders and the price printed on the receipt so that traders have no room to manipulate prices," he said.

Meanwhile, KPDNKK enforcement division director-general, Mohd Roslan Mahayuddin said the ministry hoped the people would put in their complaints if there were wrongdoings by traders on GST.

"Each complaint received will be examined and traders found violating the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 will face action," he said.

Under the Act, a person found infringing the act can be fined not more than RM100,000 or jailed not more than three years or both while the company can be fined up to RM500,000.

Prior to this, KPDNKK Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek announced a smart phone application called 'EZ Complaint' which would be implemented next month for consumers to channel complaints on GST.

"So we hope consumers will help the authorities detect irresponsible traders as the application can also assist consumers send in complaints with pictures as evidence directly into the E-Complaint system," Mohd Roslan added.