KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — A task force consisting of officers from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has been established to conduct further investigations to recover uncollected vehicle import duty on duty-free islands (PCB).
Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the government would take stern action against those who avoid paying import duty and would report them to the police so that appropriate action could be taken immediately.
He said that the establishment of the task force was a follow-up to the discovery of fraud by the vehicle owner who had submitted fake documents and incorrect information.
“The results of further inspection based on audit sampling confirmed that there was fraud by the vehicle owner,” he said when winding up the debate on the motion to allow Auditor-General’s Report 2021 Series 2 to be debated in Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the JKDM also investigated elements of irregularities, residency status and examined the issue of violation of residency conditions as stated in the report.
According to Auditor-General’s Report 2021 Series 2, which was published in February, there were weaknesses in duty collection for imported vehicles on PCB resulting in uncollected duty amounting to RM72.32 million.
“Checks found that RM146 824.49 out of RM72.32 million was due to calculation errors and was collected before the audit was carried out,” he said.
He said JKDM also took immediate action by streamlining related matters, issuing residency requirements for the ownership of vehicles and restructuring the depreciation rate for vehicles.
“Hence, the registration of vehicles brought into PCB requires, among others, customs declaration form, copy of identity card, employer’s confirmation letter and residential utility bill,” he added.
