GST refunds: Only Najib has the power, says Guan Eng
FMT Reporters | August 26, 2018
He says as such, the former finance minister has the authority to decide on the transfer of funds to the trust account.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng says if police accept Najib Razak’s denial, former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar will be blamed.
PETALING JAYA: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has taken his predecessor Najib Razak to task after the former prime minister denied any involvement in the missing RM19.2 billion in goods and services tax (GST) refunds.
Lim said in a statement that only the finance minister could authorise the two-week extension given to the Customs Department to refund the goods and services tax (GST) monies paid by businesses.
In a statement, Lim, who is the finance minister, said this also meant that the finance minister had the authority to decide not to transfer the RM19.25 billion to the GST refunds trust account.
He said this in response to former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s replies to questions raised earlier on the missing funds.
Najib has denied any involvement in the matter.
Lim had previously asked Najib three questions. The first was whether he authorised the GST refunds to be delayed although refunds had to be made in two weeks as required by the law.
Two, if Najib had approved the decision by former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar not to transfer the full RM82.9 billion as requested by the Customs Department and finally, whether the then government considered the GST refunds as “revenue to be used as the government pleases”.
Lim went on to warn that Irwan would be blamed for the missing RM19.2 billion in goods and services tax (GST) refunds if Najib continued to deny any involvement.
This is because Irwan had chaired the trust fund committee meetings since 2015.
He said if the police, who were currently investigating the matter, believed the former prime minister’s denial, Irwan would have to bear the responsibility in the matter.
“Not just the criminal offence of breach of trust, but also abusing or acting beyond his powers by appropriating the power of a minister,” Lim said.
Lim had previously dropped a bombshell in the Dewan Rakyat when he stated that Barisan Nasional (BN) had “robbed” the government’s consolidated revenue account of GST refunds and due to that there was a shortfall of RM19 billion not paid to traders since 2015.
He has since lodged a police report over the matter.
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