Nazri: Tourism tax to come into effect Sept 1

KUALA LUMPUR: The tourism tax will be officially enforced on Sept 1, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (pic).

Malaysians and permanent residents will be exempted from paying the tax, while foreign tourists will be charged a flat rate of RM10 per room per night for all hotel classifications.

The tax will not apply to homestays and kampung stays registered with the Ministry, premises maintained by religious institutions for non-commercial purposes, premises operated by federal and state governments for non-commercial purposes, and premises with four or lesser than four rooms.

The Tourism and Culture Minister said that Malaysia is projected to collect about RM210mil in Tourism Tax revenue annually.

He announced the official date of implementation for the tax system at the Malaysian Tourism Centre (Matic) in Jalan Ampang here.

According to Nazri, so far 3,200 providers of accommodation have registered with the Finance Ministry for the Tourism Tax.

Accommodation operators can register online via www.myttx.customs.gov.my commencing 4pm on Aug 8 (Tuesday).

Those with queries about the tax system can contact the Customs Department at 1-300-888-500.

-thestar online.