By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Apr 8: The federal government is considering introducing a customised tax rebate for tourism transport operators as part of efforts to cushion the impact of fluctuating energy prices on the industry.
In a Facebook post, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said his ministry is working closely with industry stakeholders to develop targeted, practical and sustainable support measures for the sector, particularly in response to rising operational costs.
In this regard, he urged industry players to expedite the submission of detailed operational and financial data to enable the proposed measures to be refined and implemented within an appropriate timeframe.
“Discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to evaluate the feasibility of introducing a tax rebate mechanism tailored for tourism transport operators.
“The objective is to ease cost pressures faced by operators while strengthening the sector’s resilience and its ability to sustain operations,” he said.
Tiong said the proposed rebate mechanism is still being refined to ensure it is effective, fair and fiscally sustainable.
He stressed that any government assistance must be based on clear and verifiable data, including revenue records and cost structures, to ensure accurate policy design and targeted support.
“At this stage, what is needed is not general feedback but detailed and verifiable data,” he said, adding that this includes information such as fuel usage, trip frequency, passenger volume, and revenue trends.
He noted that differences in operating models across the sector will be taken into account to ensure the measures introduced are practical and appropriately targeted. — DayakDaily
