KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui welcomed the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun’s statement on briefing the state cabinet on tourism tax before deciding whether the Sabah government should implement it.
Lui believed that the state cabinet would take into consideration that in view of the current economy, it was not a suitable time to implement the tourism tax, which would come into force on July 1 this year.
“I hope the state cabinet will arrive at a decision that benefits the interests of Sabahans, by opposing the implementation of the tourism tax in Sabah,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
Lui said the implementation of the tourism tax would not only affect foreign tourists but also local consumers who often stayed at hotels in the country during their working trips.
“The tourism tax will increase the financial burden of both foreign and local tourists.”
KKCCCI urged the government to put the people first and not to impose additional tax on Malaysians.
“The government should find ways to alleviate the people’s burden rather than imposing more taxes.”
He said the tourism tax would affect the Malaysian tourism industry’s competitiveness in the region, as well as deliver a severe blow to Sabah tourism industry which is the main economic contributor to the state. -BP
