KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry (MoT) will not take a populist approach in abolishing
road tax for private vehicles as its revenue collection is used back for the benefit of the people.
Its minister, Anthony Loke, said the government earned more than RM2 billion annually from road tax collection and calling for its abolishment would only disrupt the smooth running of the country's administration.
"Road tax is a revenue for the government. If the government at all wants to exclude (road tax), there will be no revenue. How do we govern the country? In any country, the government must have a revenue collection.
"Road tax is an important and primary tax (collection for the government). The Road Transport Department (RTD) collects almost RM4 billion annually and most of it is from road tax. Road tax itself if I am not mistaken (contributes) over RM2 billion.
"So, if all are abolished, the government's revenue will decrease. If it decreases, it will certainly affect the course of the national administration," he said at a press conference here today.
Loke was asked about the proposal from many quarters who wanted the government to exempt road tax collection following the MoT's move in allowing the removal of private vehicles no longer needed to display road tax.
He explained that the government, especially the MoT, sought to do as much as possible to reduce the people's cost of living through various approaches and actions, including exempting the display of road tax on vehicles.
"Where we can reduce costs, we will try to do. Why are we digitising this (road tax), it can reduce people's costs.
"Any citizen who uses a third-party (company) to send road tax, now the 'sticker' is no longer necessary, so delivery (by a third party) is no longer necessary. So, we save a few ringgit from the delivery cost," he said.
He iterated that the MoT measure to exempt vehicles from displaying road tax was neither mandatory nor compulsory, but rather, an option for all private vehicle users.
He said for those who were facing digital access problems or the elderly who were not familiar with digitisation could continue using the old means.
"We do not make it mandatory. If it still doesn't fit with digitisation, it can still be used (road tax on the vehicle), go ahead. I am just saying it's not mandatory, it (road tax) doesn't have to be issued and it must be digital. We're just giving the people an option, a choice," he said.
In the meantime, Loke acknowledged complaints regarding the MyJPJ smartphone application system, which was facing access interruptions.
He added that the MoT would continue to work to improve the application for the convenience of users. All private vehicle owners no longer need to display road tax on their vehicles from Feb 10.
He said citizens could use the LKM Digital (e-LKM) and LMM Digital (e-LMM) display modes through the RTD public portal or the MyJPJ application implemented under a pilot project.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
from New Straits Times https://ift.tt/2U6b1tF
0 Comments