By Chan Quan Min
Rafizi Ramli
Industrial users have been slapped with a sales tax on petrol and diesel purchased in bulk of 40 and 59 sen per litre, respectively, on top of retail pump prices, said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) senior leader Rafizi Ramli today.
The member of parliament (MP) for Pandan said his information was based on a leaked Treasury circular with a reference number of SR(8.09)102/21-1Vol.58(38). In order to protect the identity his informant, Rafizi said it was necessary to withhold publication of the leaked documents.
“The rakyat must know that manufacturers and the logistics industry, which fall under the category of industrial and commercial users, did not enjoy a fall in fuel costs, and are instead paying higher prices,” Rafizi said in a statement today.
He said this partly explains why prices of consumer goods have not fallen in line with lower oil prices.
“The (prime minister) Najib administration has acted irresponsibly in quietly taxing industry with the hope of diverting public anger to industry and traders,” Rafizi said.
The government is indirectly collecting hundreds of millions of ringgit in taxes from traders and the public, he claimed.
According to Rafizi, the Treasury circular imposes a sales tax on petrol and diesel for industrial and commercial users who purchase their fuel in bulk from oil companies such as Petronas, Petron and Shell.
The sales tax is an additional 40 sen per litre for diesel and B5 diesel, as well as 58.62 sen per litre for RON95 and RON97 petrol, on top of government regulated prices.
However, a discount of 9.4 sen per litre for diesel and 22.72 sen per litre for petrol has been granted for the month of January. The quantum of discount on the newly introduced sales taxes is said to change on a monthly basis.
Even with the discount, fuel sold in bulk for industrial and commercial use is more expensive than the fuel available at retail pumps.
The bulk fuel prices for this month are RM2.27 per litre and RM2.24 per litre for petrol and diesel respectively while retail prices stand at just RM1.91 per litre and RM1.93 per litre.
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