KUALA LUMPUR – Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has urged the government to form an impact assessment task force to evaluate the Budget 2024 deliverables for the Indian community.
He said the task force would address the community’s concerns and help them understand the opportunities and challenges involved with the budget.
“It (the task force) must analyse the impact in terms of deliverables for the community and periodically publish a detailed report,” he said in a statement.
“It will allow for direct engagement with the community to handle their grievances without delay and ensure they are not misguided by opportunistic politicians and individuals.”
He noted that the proposed increase of the sales and services tax (SST) from 6% to 8% has been the topic of conversation in the kopitiam (coffee shops) and mamak restaurants.
Santiago also pointed out that Budget 2024 did not only propose trimming subsidies but also imposed higher taxes that affected the poor and lower middle-class group who are struggling to get back on their feet following the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that this was compounded by the recent price hikes of food and other essential items.
He said the government is also responsible for explaining that a 2% SST increase for the rich will help increase government revenue that can be used for government expenditure in education and health care.
“Put differently, the 2% increase in service tax will be transferred to help the B60 in a targeted fashion,” he said.
“The Indians have been on the receiving end of the spectrum for decades now. And therefore it is crucial to work on the sticking points to ensure the frustration and mistrust can be mitigated,” he said.
“The task force will allow for direct engagement with the community, an opportunity to handle their grievances without delay and most importantly, ensure they are not misguided by opportunistic politicians and individuals.” – October 15, 2023