JOHOR BARU: A total of 219 companies and traders have been slapped with compounds totalling RM3.28 million for failing to register for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) before the deadline on Feb 28.
Johor Royal Malaysian Customs Department director Datuk Ramli Johari said the compounds were issued during a crackdown launched against defaulters since March 1.
“The operation will continue until March 15. We are going after 4,741 defaulters, 2,724 of them in Johor Baru, 548 in Batu Pahat, 1,118 in Muar and 351 in Kluang,” he told reporters before joining a GST operation at Plaza Mentari, here the other day.
Ramli said 90 officers were deployed for the operation in Johor.
The GST at 6%, which replaces the combined 16% Sales and Service Tax, will come into force on April 1.
Until Feb 28, 44,694 businesses in Johor had registered for the GST during an in-situ programme, at GST kiosks or online.
In Malacca, State Royal Malaysian Customs Department director Mad Akhir Adom said 1,634 companies in Malacca had yet to register for the GST.
“We have the list of the defaulters and we are going to check their premises to verify their status in an operation from March 1 to 15,” he told reporters after giving a GST briefing at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka here the other day.
Mad Akhir said the defaulters would be registered for the GST if they were found to be eligible for registration.
Until yesterday, 9,598 companies in Malacca had registered for the GST.