Highlights:
- CUEPACS to propose new remuneration system
- No impact on airfares if SST the same as before
- Pikom targets RM370mil GMV for #MYCYBERSALE 2018
- Foreign sources donated RM10m to Tabung Harapan Malaysia
- Thailand approves electric vehicle investment plans of Nissan, Honda
CUEPACS to propose new remuneration system
The Congress of Employees Union in the Public Service (CUEPACS) is drawing up a proposal paper on a new remuneration system for civil servants. CUEPACS president, Datuk Azih Muda said the paper would be submitted to the government for consideration. He added that CUEPACS wanted the government to implement the five-year review of civil servants’ salaries because it had not been done since 2002. He said the salary revision was necessary in view of the higher prices of houses and goods. “We would like to stress our loyalty to the government of the day. We understand the current financial situation of the country but we must remember that house prices are too high for those in the lower grades. “Those earning RM2,000 surely cannot afford to buy a RM150,000 house, especially those with many children, and they always end up renting houses,” he said in Labuan.
No impact on airfares if SST the same as before
Malaysia Airlines Bhd. (MAB) does not expect the impending sales and services tax (SST) to affect airfares if the implementation of the tax regime remains unchanged. Group Chief Executive Officer Izham Ismail said air tickets were exempted from the SST before the goods and services tax (GST) came into force in April 2015. “But for now, we are still awaiting guidance from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (before we make) a further move,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Pikom targets RM370mil GMV for #MYCYBERSALE 2018
THE 5th #MYCYBERSALE 2018 online sale event, will open its doors to shoppers from 3-7 September 2018. After its debut as the organiser of Malaysia’s biggest online sale event in 2017, the National ICT Association of Malaysia (Pikom) will once again drive this national initiative to reach a targeted RM370 million in gross merchandise value (GMV), with RM50 million as export revenue. The event has proven to be a great platform for merchants in Malaysia to be part of the e-commerce ecosystem and contribute to the domestic and export e-commerce revenue. In 2017, #MYCYBERSALE attracted 1,007 merchants who generated RM311 million in GMV of which half of the merchants brought in RM39 million in export revenue derived from shoppers in 26 countries. Pikom has set the bar even higher for #MYCYBERSALE 2018, targeting 1,200 merchants, with at least 50% of them expected to be exporters. More than 600 merchants have registered since the soft launch on July 10, 2018. Pikom chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah said, “In line with its theme – ‘Driving growth through omni channel commerce,’ #MYCYBERSALE 2018 aims to encourage micro-enterprises to adopt an omnichannel approach for their businesses to reduce dependency on social media private messaging sales.”).The e-commerce industry in Malaysia is expected to grow by 12.1%, from RM74.6 billion in 2016 to an estimated RM83.6 billion in 2017, added Ganesh. #MYCYBERSALE grew under the leadership of MDEC when it registered a GMV of RM67 million in 2014; RM117.7 million in 2015 and RM211 million in 2016.
Foreign sources donated RM10m to Tabung Harapan Malaysia
The Finance Ministry said Tabung Harapan Malaysia (THM) has received over RM10 million in donation from foreign sources. Over RM162 million have been collected as of 4pm today. Deputy Finance Minister Amiruddin Hamzah said the Pakatan Harapan government has yet to decide on a closing date for the collection of funds. The crowdfund stands at RM162,326,697.87. He said donors to THM included both individuals and companies, with a total of 289,002 donors and 189,087 online transactions as of Monday. “All proceeds will be used to pay off the national debt. However, the amount collected from THM will not be able to clear all the debt that was inherited from previous projects or scandals, such as 1MDB,” he said, in reference to 1Malaysia Development Berhad. THM was launched on 30 May 2018 by the Ministry of Finance, following several independent crowdfunding attempts by Malaysians to help Putrajaya manage its debts.
Thailand approves electric vehicle investment plans of Nissan, Honda
Thailand has approved investment plans worth 29.63 billion baht (US$888.2 million), including projects by two Japanese automakers to produce hybrid electric vehicles and batteries. The Board of Investment said Nissan Motor (Thailand), a unit of Nissan Motor Co will invest 10.96 billion baht in one venture while Honda Automobile (Thailand), a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co will spend 5.82 billion baht on its project. The agency said Thai and foreign firms submitted projects worth 284.6 billion baht in January-June, which it said was “close to” the amount in the first half of 2017, without giving the previous number. The board said the projects were mainly for Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a centrepiece of the government’s policy to lift growth and targets high-tech investment. The agency is sticking to its target of securing 720 billion baht in investment pledges this year, up 12 percent from last year, as large applications are expected in the second half, it said.
