KUALA LUMPUR: The Customs Department has been praised for reducing delays in input tax refunds.
MCA small and medium-scale enterprises (SME) bureau chief Datuk Ei Kim Hock said complaints over delays had dropped drastically, with the department engaging and listening to stakeholders.
Ei said the department initially did not have enough manpower to resolve the problems, and the bureau then sought the help of Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong.
He said a meeting called by Chua with Customs, the bureau and other commercial associations managed to iron out issues. SME Association of Malaysia national president Michael Kang welcomed the improvements but said some members still faced problems getting refunds.
Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Tan Sri K. Kenneth Eswaran felt that it was too soon to applaud the department.
He said delays would lead to the perception that the Government was deliberately withholding refunds.
Malay Businessmen and Industrialists Association vice-president Datuk Naim Mohamad also said it might be too soon to be evaluating performance.
“They should be doing better but to be fair it has only been six months since the implementation of GST,” he said.
