There
is always challenge for a country to implement a new system or policy
as it has to consider the widespread effect on individual citizen,
businesses, government and the whole economy. The regulators have to
balance the interest between the benefits
and disadvantages of the new policy along with the long term goal.
One of the challenges in the implementation of GST might be the level
of technological knowledge of the citizen especially those senior
citizen. This is not a discrimination issue but in fact, many senior
citizens in Malaysia are not familiar with the technology equipments
such as the uses of computer and GST software. For an example, a case
from Teluk Intan where a hardware store owner, Chen, 65 tried to
commit suicide due to the pressure from trying to implement the Goods
and Services Tax (GST).
In
order to prevent for the cases and any negative consequences, the
regulators have to make sure adequate of time given to the businesses
in implementing the GST as changing a company's system and
operation's policies is not an easy job especially for those
traditional businesses. Many traditional businesses might not able to
adapt to the new system and the changes easily due to their
technological knowledge and the existence of man power. Can you
imagine how pressure is an old man to adapt and implement a GST
system without the adequate of time, knowledge and the most important
is man power who can really help him in term of solving the technical
works and the implementation of GST.
Hence,
the regulators should aware of the challenges of GST in order to
protect the interest of the public and to avoid any unintended
consequences by providing adequate of information to the public,
sufficient of time and more training programs should be take place in
order to help people who are still struggling on the implementation
of the GST.
