Turunkan cukai taman tema kepada 10 peratus

 

PETALING JAYA: Kerajaan disaran menurunkan kadar cukai taman tema kepada 10 peratus bagi membantu merancakkan kembali sektor pelancongan domestik dan antarabangsa.

Ahli Dewan Negara, Mohd. Hisamuddin Yahaya berkata, kadar yang dikenakan terhadap premis itu ketika ini ialah sebanyak 25 peratus, iaitu sama dengan cukai kelab malam.

“Saya ingin bertanya kepada menteri mengapakah cukai taman tema dikenakan sebanyak 25 peratus, sedangkan taman tema merupakan tempat riadah bersama keluarga. Oleh itu, saya mencadangkan agar cukai yang dikenakan hanya 10 peratus sahaja,” katanya di Dewan Negara hari ini.

Cukai pelancongan adalah cukai Persekutuan yang dikenakan terhadap pelancong asing yang menginap di premis penginapan berbayar di seluruh Malaysia dengan kadar RM10 sebilik/semalam.

Langkah itu selaras usaha kerajaan dalam memacu sektor pelancongan dan kebudayaan sebagai pemangkin kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi negara.

Sementara itu, Mohd. Hisamuddin menyentuh mengenai hasil kutipan cukai pelancongan setakat ini sejak dilancarkan pada 2017 dan jumlah agihan kepada negeri-negeri.

Beliau sekali gus mencadangkan agar 50 peratus daripada hasil kutipan cukai pelancongan itu  diagih kembali kepada setiap negeri.

“Pindaan Rang Undang-undang (RUU) Cukai Pelancongan 2017 memudahkan kementerian melaksanakan perubahan mengikut kehendak semasa demi memastikan industri pelancongan terus mantap.

“Contohnya, jika ingin menarik lebih ramai pelancong, kementerian boleh menurunkan cukai sekali gus menjadikan Malaysia sebagai tumpuan kerana tawaran pakej yang lebih murah dan dalam masa sama memberi pulangan kepada industri kecil sederhana (IKS) serta makro-ekonomi,” katanya.

-utusan online.

Half of tourism tax revenue to be distributed to state governments by month's end

PUTRAJAYA: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng today confirmed that 50 per cent of the revenue from last year’s tourism tax would be distributed to state governments as promised.

“Fifty per cent of the tax revenue collected from each state will be distributed, which is estimated at RM67.74 million,” he said in a statement today.

He said previously Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had asked whether the Finance Ministry would distribute the money to the state governments before the first quarter of this year.

“The Federal Government will keep to its promise and will not react like Datuk Abdul Karim who previously made false statements that the government had distributed the tax revenue to Sabah, but not Sarawak,” Lim said.

The amount to be distributed to Sabah is RM12.67 million, Penang (RM10.98 million), Selangor (RM10.3 million), Johor (RM7.99 million), Pahang (RM7.86 million), Melaka (RM5.35 million), Kedah (RM5.08 million), Sarawak (RM2.58 million) and Negri Sembilan (RM2.47 million).

-nst online.

Departure tax unlikely to spur domestic travel in Malaysia

The Malaysian government is deliberating the imposition of a departure levy on all outbound air passengers starting June 1, 2019 to encourage travellers to take domestic holidays, but members of the travel industry are doubtful that the move will lead to the desired outcome.

When tabling Budget 2019 recently, finance minister Lim Guan Eng introduced the tax and its rationale of encouraging domestic tourism. The proposed levy is two-tiered, RM20 (US$4.80) for ASEAN-bound travellers and RM40 for other countries.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president, KL Tan, believed the departure tax will not have a significant impact on growing tourism and it would not deter travellers who have already made up their minds to travel overseas.

He also pointed out that not all travel abroad is for “leisure” purposes, but also include travel for education purposes, business travel, visiting relatives and friends living abroad as well as for religious purposes such as pilgrimage.

This view is also shared by others in the trade. Stephen Thomas, managing director at Topaz Travel & Tours, said: “Our clients are mainly middle and upper middle class. If they can spend on a holiday to Europe or any other longhaul destination, paying an additional RM40 will not have an impact on their travel decision.”

Manfred Kurz, managing director at Diethelm Travel Malaysia, opined: “Outbound travel may slow down a little in the beginning but people will get used to the departure levy because they cannot get around it.”

To stimulate domestic travel, product owners should create awareness of their attractions through enticing promotional materials, suggested Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager, New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel.

He added: “Relevant government agencies should also study the trends of what Malaysians are looking for and the travelling needs of the younger generation and tailor products accordingly. There is not much information on agro-tourism and the historical site of Bujang Valley lacks exposure.”

-TTG Asia.

RM10 tourism tax to be maintained

THE flat rate of RM10 per room per night on foreign tourists will be maintained, says Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi.

“Under the new government, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has reviewed implementation of the tourism tax.

“From the review, the implementation of the tax by countries such as the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Singapore and Thailand, proved that the tax has brought positive growth to the tourism sector in the long term,” he said in a written reply to Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah (PH-Port Dickson).

Mohamaddin noted that Japan and Saudi Arabia had recently implemented the tourism tax.

He said the tax is expected to bring positive impact to the tourism industry through the financing of infrastructure, arts and culture. It is only applicable to foreign tourists.

-thestar online.

MATTA expects GST removal to boost local tourism

MATTA is of the view that air travel to local destinations, such as Langkawi, will be more affordable with the implementation of the 0 GST effective June 1. — filepic

THE Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to have the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reduced from 6% to 0% effective June 1.

Its president, Datuk Tan Kok Liang, said this indirectly granted a “discount” on the cost of local tour and travel.

“The 0% GST is bound to promote spending by both locals and tourists, especially in terms of shopping as well as food and beverage, thus potentially increasing the price appeal of Malaysia as a travel destination.

“Domestic air tickets between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak will be more affordable and will augur well for domestic tourism,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s call to improve road safety, bring the MH370 episode to a close and scrap the Land Public Transport Commission, Tan said all three issues were closely related to tourism, as safety and security of tourists were paramount in any destination and equally important to local residents.

“We hope the minister will look into specific areas that could spur the growth or transformation of the air, marine, rail and road transportation sectors.

“MATTA would be happy to offer our proposals and we look forward to such meetings, as antiquated laws need to be modernised and current regulations implemented more effectively,” he stressed.

Tan said MATTA was also calling for the abolishment of the Tourism Tax (TTx), which came into effect on Sept 1, 2017.

The TTx imposes a flat rate of RM10 per room night on foreigners staying in hotels or registered private accommodation.

“We welcome tourists to have an enjoyable holiday experience and spend freely on accommodation, food and beverage, tourist attraction and tour excursion, but collecting tax from tourists would be counterproductive.

“MATTA had objected to and expressed concerns over the TTx from day one, as it would impact the tourism industry, particularly price-sensitive tourists and long-haul travellers who spend extended periods in the country,” he pointed out.

Tan added that Malaysia’s tourism sector was trailing behind its neighbours Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.

Although tourist arrivals to South-East Asian countries had recorded positive growth in 2017 – with a 7.8% increase for Thailand, Singapore (6.2%) and the Philippines (11%) – Malaysia saw a 3% drop with 25.95 million tourists in 2017 compared to 26.76 million in 2016.

“Putting up more barriers may deter tourists from choosing Malaysia as a preferred holiday destination.

“Without the TTx, foreigners would be delighted to come to our country, stay longer and spend more freely,” he added.

-thestar online.

With a new government, Malaysian hotels urge review of tourism tax

Hotel associations had opposed the tax leading up to its implementation,

saying it impinges on the destination’s price competitiveness

With the Malaysian cabinet set for a refresh following Mahathir Mohamad’s landmark election victory and return to the post of prime minister, the country’s three main hotel associations are taking the chance to resurface their objections surrounding a tourism tax that came into effect in September 2017.

Diminished competitivenessespecially in the budget hotel sector and hotels’ unwillingness to be made “collecting agents” for the tax are among the issues highlighted by the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners’ (MAHO), Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), and Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA).

This comes as the government announces a reduction of a goods and services tax introduced in 2015 to zero.

MAHO executive director, Shaharuddin M Saaid, shared with TTG Asiathat the association will push for an overall review of the tourism tax so that it does not hurt inbound arrivals.

Shaharuddin said: “A RM10 (US$2.50) tourism tax per room per night at a budget hotel that costs RM50 to RM80 per room per night is too much for guests to pay. The budget hotels complain that they are losing business because of this tax.”

The association hopes to recommend putting a new mechanism in place to free hotels of the tax collection role they have reluctantly assumed.

In addition, the three hotel associations had last year proposed that the government introduce an exit tax that should be collected at the airports and borders and imposed on foreign tourists. Shaharuddin said: “We will most likely bring up this proposal again.”

Under the system, foreign tourists are charged a flat rate of RM10 per night and per room and Malaysian citizens and permanent residents are exempted from paying the tax.

-TTG Asia.

Sarawak memperoleh RM439,529 hasil cukai pelancongan

KUCHING 20 Mac - Sarawak mendapat RM439,529 daripada hasil cukai pelancongan yang dikutip kerajaan mulai 1 September hingga 31 Disember tahun lalu di negeri ini.

Menteri Pelancongan, Kesenian, Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan negeri, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, sebelum ini,  Kementerian Kewangan menyatakan setiap RM10 yang dikutip, RM1 akan diserahkan kembali kepada kerajaan negeri namun ia sudah dikaji semula.

Katanya, kerajaan kemudian bersetuju untuk memberikan RM5 daripada RM10 hasil kutipan cukai pelancongan warga asing yang menginap di hotel negeri ini.

"Dalam tempoh empat bulan itu, Sarawak mendapat kutipan berjumlah RM879,058," katanya dalam sidang akhbar selepas Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pemandu Pelancongan Sarawak(STSC) 1/2018, di sini hari ini.

Yang turut hadir, Menteri Muda Belia dan Sukan negeri, Datuk Snowdan Lawan.

Mengulas lanjut, beliau berkata, hasil diperoleh itu masih rendah jika dibandingkan dengan Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Pulau Pinang dan Johor Bahru yang mempunyai banyak hotel.

Sementara itu, beliau memberitahu, pihaknya juga akan mengambil tindakan kontinjensi dengan melantik pemandu pelancong sementara yang boleh berbahasa Mandarin, berikutan kedatangan pelancong China yang meningkat sejak penerbangan sulung dari Shenzhen ke Kuching dilancarkan pada Disember tahun lalu.

"Kita mempunyai 200 pemandu pelancong di negeri ini, namun bukan semua dapat berbahasa Mandarin bagi menampung permintaan pelancong China yang ramai," ujarnya.

Beliau memberitahu, sejak Januari hingga Mac ini, sebanyak 20,000 penumpang telah menggunakan penerbangan laluan Shenzhen-Kuching dan Kuching-Shenzhen.

-utusan online.

https://sarawaktourism.com

Revised tax split gives Malaysian state governments more tourism funds

Half of the tourism tax imposed will go to the state where it is collected; parade participants

at the 4th Usunan Festival competition in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia pictured

Malaysian tourism and culture minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has announced that the tourism tax will be split 50:50 between the federal and state governments, rather than 90:10, a welcome move for the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA).

This means that state governments are to receive RM5 (US$1.30) for every RM10 collected in the tourism tax.

This is a sharp contrast to the initial share of 33 per cent, or RM3.30 for every RM10 collected, before the tourism ministry reduced it further to 10 per cent, the percentage used when the tax was implemented.

MATTA president, Tan Kok Liang, said: “It is certainly a right move in empowering the states to be more involved with tourism, which brings immense opportunities and economic benefits to its people.

“The additional funds would allow the states to showcase areas in their own backyards they know best. Each district can develop a strong ecosystem to attract and ensure visitors enjoy their stay so that they will want to come back for more and recommend to others,” he remarked.

This will enable state tourism organisations to be “more aggressive in overseas promotions”, Tan stated, as the funds could be invested into tourism infrastructure development and digital marketing such as destination apps that provide information and on-the-spot bookings.

“A portion of the extra fund should be allocated for human capital development to train frontliners to provide better customer service, including learning to communicate in basic foreign languages,” he added.

Nazri had said the funds will be channelled to the states every quarter for their tourism promotions and activities. The government had raised almost RM40 million in revenue from the tourism tax collected in the first four months of its implementation.

-TTG Asia.

Ministry: Govt collected RM600,000 in tourism tax in first month of implementation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has collected over RM600,000 from tourism tax in September, the first month of its implementation.

In a parliamentary written reply to Anthony Loke (DAP - Seremban) last week, the Finance Ministry said the total collection was RM610,280 from 4,671 registered lodgings nationwide from Sept 1 to Sept 30, 2017.

Penang brought in the biggest chunk at RM241,460 from 292 registered lodgings, followed by Kuala Lumpur with RM185,750 from 718 registered lodgings and Johor with RM52,550 from 554 lodgings.

Malaysians and permanent residents are 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 does 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 Ministry had said that Malaysia is projected to collect about RM210mil in tourism tax revenue annually.

-thestar online.

Malaysia’s budget travel segment hit by tourism tax

While agents operating out of Singapore say they are barely seeing a dent in demand for Malaysia after a tourism tax recently kicked in, trade players in the destination are concerned the budget travel segment might take a hit.

Joe Lim, executive director of Singapore’s Konsortium Express & Tours, told TTG Asia: “The news had been discussed for some time before finally being implemented. Customers have accepted it and it’s not turning them off from visiting Malaysia.”

Lim added that the exchange rates for the Malaysia ringgit has also made the price difference “negligible”.

Some confusion may arise when budget hotels do not clarify that they are collecting the tax, senior sales and marcom manager of TACentre.com Philip Gejon said, leading guests to mistake it for room payment.

Aside from this minor hiccup, customers are “quite accepting” of the tax, especially as “hotels are not that expensive” even in capital city Kuala Lumpur, said Gejon.

However, trade players in Malaysia say this acceptance does not come easy for the more price-sensitive segments – including younger travellers from the region and backpackers from longhaul countries.

Ally Bhoonee, executive director, World Avenue, said the company’s student travel segment, who typically opt for budget hotels, has taken the biggest hit.

Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager at the Johor-based New Asia Holidays Tours & Travel, shared that he had a group of 30 youth from Singapore refuse to pay the tax as it was not included in the package price.

The high tax to rate ratio at budget hotels has PK Leong, president, Malaysia Budget Hotel Association, concerned that the association’s members would lose their competitive edge to unlicensed accommodation providers.

“A RM10 tourism tax (could be an) additional 20 per cent to (budget hotel) rate. That is very high. We had members saying that guests walked out upon hearing about the tax. Where do you think they will go? Airbnb operators will benefit because it is unregulated and not registered by the government,” he said.

Alex Lee, CEO at Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours based in Terengganu, added: “In the long run, I foresee backpackers from longhaul destinations shortening their stay in Malaysia and neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Thailand benefiting from it.

-TTG Asia.

Malaysian trade suffers teething pains from tourism tax rollout

Barely a week into the implementation of the unpopular tourism tax in Malaysia, travel agents and hoteliers in the country say they are now burdened with the hassle of tax collection and additional costs incurred in the teething stages.

Diethelm Travel Malaysia’s managing director, Manfred Kurz, said the company has had clients from Europe and the US complain when asked to pay the tax at hotels as they thought this was already included in the package price.

And while Diethelm’s overseas agency partners had attempted to pay the tax on behalf of clients, hotels insisted that the tax be paid by guests at the point of check-out, according to Kurz.

“Now clients pay the hotels and then get reimbursed by their travel agents back home, but this form of transaction is a hassle. Our fear is that our tour operator partners will be reluctant to promote Malaysia in future if this hassle continues and nothing is done to improve the current system.”

Ally Bhoonee, executive director, World Avenues, added: “We’ve had to pay a staff double to be on standby at the office and handle complaints from clients who refused to pay the tax during the recent long weekend and public holidays from September 1 to 4.”

Bhoonee explained that the company sees the additional service necessary in order to retain regular agency clients.

There is also the problem of costs incurred by tour operators who had committed to contractual hotel rates before the tax was announced.

Although the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents said those affected may apply for an exemption with the government, the association is still concerned about members who have to pay large sums while awaiting exemption or refunds.

“We are of the view that the intention of the tax is meant to benefit all stakeholders eventually, and those initially affected by its introduction should be given speedy assistance by the government”, concluded Tan.

Applications for exemption are to be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, before being forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for evaluation and approval on a case-by-case basis.

-TTG Asia.

5,000 hotels have started collecting tourism tax

PETALING JAYA: Some 5,000 hotels around the country have started implementing the tourism tax for foreigners.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) president Sam Cheah Swee Hee said hotel operators started the collection of tourism tax yesterday.

“Not all hotel operators are ready. We will do it manually until the system is ready,” he said when contacted.

Cheah said hoteliers will submit their collection to the Customs and Excise Department by next month.

The Customs and Excise Department is taking a friendly approach to encourage hotels and lodging operators to register for the tourism tax, said Department director-general Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy.

“We will not be harsh as the announcement of the tax came a little late,” he said when contacted.

The Government had announced early last month that the tourism tax was to be enforced from yesterday.

Only foreign tourists will be charged a flat rate of RM10 per night per room while local tourists and permanent residents would be exempted from paying the tax.

Subromaniam said the department will try to contact hotel operators who have yet to register, rather than using a harsh approach. As of now, Subromaniam said the number of registered accommodation providers was at 5,000, out of the estimated 10,000 establishments nationwide.

“We are giving hotel operators another month. We expect all to register with us by the end of September,” he added.

Bernama reported that hoteliers must display the newly introduced Tourism Tax rate separately from the room rates with the implementation of the tax.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (Sarawak Chapter) honorary secretary-general John Teo Peng Yew said hotel and resort operators need to adhere to the new ruling following a meeting with the Finance Ministry and the Customs Department recently.

“No exemption for long stay, complimentary stay such as timeshare or loyalty programme and such tax shall be free of GST,” he said in a statement here.

-thestar online.

Opposition to tourism tax not letting up in Malaysia

In Malaysia, the unpopular tourism tax will be enforced nationwide on September 1 but grievances continue to pour in from local hoteliers and agents.

Among them, any tourist who checks in early or checks out late at hotels from September 1 will be made to pay a tourism tax of RM10 (US$2.34) for the extension, on top of the RM10 tax per room, per night.

“It is unfair but hotels have no choice but to charge because we have no letter in black and white from the government telling the hotels otherwise. If we don’t charge the guest, the hotel will have to pay the tax for the guest,” revealed Shaharuddin Saaid, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) executive director.

Guests who receive complimentary rooms from hotels will also have to pay the tourism tax.

Other issues brought up at the meeting last week with Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture include whether budget accommodation operators with dormitories of four to six beds are going to charge guests.

Shaharuddin challenged: “Do you charge only one person, or every guest in the room? Also with such budget accommodation where the room rates are as low as RM100, the tourism tax of RM10 per room per night is more than the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of six per cent. This is unfair!”

He had also expected a certain amount of confusion in the early days of implementation. He said: “Tourists may argue with hotels and refuse to pay. We will then be made responsible and pay on their behalf. The government had also not given enough time for hotels to upgrade their accounting systems to facilitate the collection of the tourism tax. The GST should not be charged on the tourism tax but if the systems have not been upgraded properly, this may show."

He opined that the tax will also have an impact on long stay guests such as corporate clients. The association had proposed a cap on the number of days the tax can be applied to, regardless of the number of days the guest is staying.

“We have also stressed to the authorities in our last meeting that starting the tourism tax on September 1 gives unlicensed accommodation operators in the country an unfair advantage as they have not been registered with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to collect the taxes. There are more than 8,000 of them listed on accommodation portals like Booking.com and Airbnb website.”

Moreover, the exemption for clients of agencies that have signed contracts with overseas partners for the current contracting period until March 31, 2018 will not be implemented without an official letter from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Nanda Kumar, managing director of Hidden Asia Travel & Tours, said the agency still has to pay over RM120,000 in tourism tax to hotels for advance bookings made before the tax was introduced.

Update

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department issued a circular on August 29 stating:

- no tourism tax will be levied on early check-in and late check-out so long as no room charges are imposed. However, complimentary stays offered by an operator to a tourist will still be subject to the tax;

- in cases where more than one tourist is staying in the same accommodation at the same time, e.g. dormitory arrangement, and the tourism tax for that accommodation has been paid by any one of the tourists, the other tourists are not liable to pay tourism tax for that accommodation.

-TTG Asia.