Credit card tax is a "revenue first, not people first policy

After receiving much complaints from the people, the Cabinet has decided to scrap the introduction of an end-of-life policy for vehicles.Such policy , if introduced, will make mandatory annual comprehensive inspection as a requirement for road tax renewal for vehicles aged 15 years or older.

DAP welcomes the Cabinet's decision to pull back the policy as it will be a big financial burden especially to the rural folks as most of the old cars are found in the rural areas.
However, the question that the Prime Minister has to answer is why he has not listened to the complaints from the people on the introduction of taxes on credit and charge cards?

Is he not aware that besides the end of life policy for vehicles, credit card tax policy proposed in his 2010 Budget is the other measure which has attracted the most negative feedback from the public?
Has he not heard the public view that the correct and effective way to reduce the number of credit cards in the country is for the card issuers to raise the card eligibility conditions like annual income limit rather than for the government to impose service tax?

Does the government know why a credit card user will normally have at least two cards? And does the Prime Minister know that his new measure will affect the lower income group?
A few days ago, Najib had pointed out that the public should look at the overall benefits offered by the Government in the Budget, including an additional RM1,000 tax relief and a reduction at the top of the taxable income tier from 27% to 26%.

“So they get two (relief measures) and only have to pay RM50 (per credit card). Don’t tell me they cannot pay RM50?’’ he said.

By asking this question, it is proof that Najib has yet to understand the people's burden and feelings, He cannot therefore complain that the people have described his credit card tax policy as a " revenue first, not people first policy".

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