Najib: GST can help fund delegates' demands
MalaysiaKini.com
Nov 30, 2014

UMNO AGM In a passionate defence of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Umno president Najib Abdul Razak said the new source of revenue can be channelled for several demands made by delegates.

"I don't know how much extra (revenue) we will get next year, perhaps RM5 billion or RM10 billion.

"If there is additional funds, then I can take the spirit and will of the Umno general assembly.

"What is the will of the assembly? It wants more funding for rural development which is our stronghold and must be prioritised," he said in his winding-up speech.

He added that other demands from delegates include more funding for education, upgrading the skills of workers and housing.

"All of these, we can increase the allocation through GST," he said.

Likewise, he said that delegates also demanded for more funding for Mara as the symbol of the bumiputera community.

"Where are we going to get the funds? We can't borrow from foreign financial institutions, we will lose our sovereignty.

"This cannot be, we must stand on our own feet," he said.

'Black economy'

As such, he said these potential spending was proof that GST would be beneficial.

"I want to prove that GST does not burden the people, it defends the people. Who said the GST will not benefit us?" he added.

He said the GST is necessary as business people have been avoiding taxes in what he described as the "black economy".

Najib also addressed complaints that the rakyat did not feel the positive effective of a robust 6.1 percent gross domestic product growth for the first nine months of this year.

"Some people say this 6.1 percent figure is not relevant to them as they don't feel it.

"But let me say, if we don't get 6.1 percent, if we only get one to two percent, surely everyone will feel the pinch," he said.

Copyright © 1999-2012 Mkini Dotcom Sdn. Bhd	
Sourcehttp: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/282035