"PETALING JAYA, March 30 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Monday said the government is committed to ensuring that the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will not burden the people.

The prime minister said it should be realised that the primary objective of the implementation of the GST was to strengthen the country's financial resources and, eventually, ensure more effective development for the nation's progress and people's good.

""Our aim of implementing the GST is not to burden the people. We implement the GST in a way to minimise the burden on the people. No other country has given that many zero-rated GST and exemptions that we have.



""This goes to show that the government really does not want to burden the people. We will implement the GST without burdening the people. At the same time, we will raise the nation's revenue, and this is for the people's good,"" he said.

Najib was addressing a gathering of Customs employees at the multipurpose hall of the Federal Territory Royal Customs Department here.

The prime minister said it was hoped that at the macro level, the strengthening of the country's financial resources through this taxation system would help raise the nation's rating to a more positive level and enhance international confidence in the way Malaysia managed its economy.

He advised Customs staff to make the implementation of the GST on April 1 the most excellent tax reform in the country's history.

Acknowledging that the Customs had a heavy responsibility in facing the people's perception, Najib said the government would be with the Customs Department in ensuring that the implementation of the GST was smooth.

""The Customs staff, as the frontliners, had a huge responsibility and I wish to state that we are here to help the Royal Customs Department to discharge that responsibility.

""Customs, we are with you; we will walk together, and implement the GST. This is going to be the biggest tax reform in our history, and we will make it successful,"" he said.

Earlier, Najib, who is also the finance minister, launched a set of GST guidelines to enable the people better understand the taxation system, and had a look at the preparations of the Customs staff for the implementation of the GST.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah; Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan; Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Siregar Abdullah; Customs director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad and other senior Customs officers attended the event.

-- BERNAMA "