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Kota Kinabalu: “The Inland Revenue Board should be truthful about the tax revenues collected in Sabah rather than trying to cover up the truth just because Sabah is now claiming its constitutional share of this revenues”said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in response to front-pages stories that only RM4 billion federal tax collectionwas targeted by the IRB from Sabah in 2013 and not RM40 billion as reported earlier.
The RM40 billion was initially announced by the IRB Sabah and they appear to be back-tracking as if to attempt a cover-up now that Sabah is entitled to two-fifths (40%) of the net revenue collected from Sabah.
The Sabah government must do more and investigate into the matter and not be side-tracked by accepting whatever is being pushed down all the time from Kuala Lumpur. It is the duty and responsibility of the Sabah government, first and foremost, towards the State and the people of Sabah not the political masters from Malaya.The RM40 billion was initially announced by the IRB Sabah and they appear to be back-tracking as if to attempt a cover-up now that Sabah is entitled to two-fifths (40%) of the net revenue collected from Sabah.
Just looking at several preliminary figures, there appears to be basis for an amount of more than RM4 billion. Petronas takes RM17.88 billion from Sabah’s oil and gas. What about the major oil companies producing oil and gas from Sabah? Sabah takes about RM1.1 billion in oil palm levies. Sabah produces about 35% of Malaysia’s crude palm oil output and in 2012 Malaysia’s palm oil export earnings posted a value of RM71.3 billion with RM73 billion targeted for 2013. Government-linked Sime Darby Berhad has 54,278 hectares of plantations while Felda has some 306,000 acres in Sabah.Many public listed plantation companies have most of their plantations in Sabah. Even Yayasan Melaka and Yayasan Selangor have palm oil plantations in Sabah!
Whether it is RM4 billion or RM40 billion, Sabah is still entitled to its legitimate 40% share!
Even assuming the lower figure, 40% of RM4 billion will increase Sabah’s budget by RM1.6 billion, a whopping 43% increase, and which will help the Sabah government and contribute to the well-being of Sabahans.
The issue of linking this 40% entitlement with federal allocations is fully of idiocy and stupidity. Firstly, it shows that Sabah BN leaders do not prioritize Sabah but the federal/BN government, secondly, that they are not acting in the best interests of Sabah and Sabahans. Thirdly, it seems that they are more interested in bowing to their political masters from Malaya and protecting their party’s interests and their interests and positions which will be jeopardized if they go against the wish of their political masters and finally, they are just accepting whatever is being shaft down their throats without thinking and evaluating what needs to be done from the perspective of Sabah.
It also lends credence to the saying by people that Sabah BN leaders are remote-controlled by their masters in Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya.
Its just over 1 month after being elected by Sabahans in the general elections and the Sabah BN leaders are already forgetting about the interests of Sabah and its people. The people should seriously whether these leaders ought to continue to represent them or be booted out.
On the other hand, the Sabah BN leaders also fail to recognize that it is the duty and responsibility that the federal government to raise and provide development allocations. Tiny Perlis and other States without much revenue are still entitled to its development allocations but it does mean that Sabah should be deprived of their allocations.
If the federal government feels that Sabah is a liability and is so difficult to reimburse Sabah’s entitlement and also to provide development allocations, it should just allow Sabah to go free and allow Sabah to manage its own revenue and resources. There is no in point keeping Sabah which is a burden given that the federal government has got a national debt in excess of RM508 billion.
Dengan berlangsungnya majlis angkat sumpah 222 Ahli Parlimen semalam dan bermulanya Persidangan Dewan Rakyat bagi penggal ke-13, ia sekali lagi membuktikan proses demokrasi masih kekal subur di negara ini.
ReplyDeleteAnwar Ibrahim must have the moral courage to inform the non-oil producing states that as a Prime Minister, he will cut their federal allocated budget by RM12.5 billion. Unfortunately this is not happening.
DeleteNegara macam Iraq, Iran, Afganistan, China, Korea Utara, vietnam, cuba, juga ada majlis sumpah ahli parlimen. adakah ini bermaksud mereka semuanya negara yang demokratik? apa yang ko merepek ni?
DeleteSebelum ini, bantahan demi bantahan dilakukan Ahli Parlimen pakatan pembangkang bagi memprotes keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13) pada 5 Mei lalu kerana didakwa tidak telus dan memihak kepada Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN).
ReplyDeleteThis option is not without its own ramifications. With reduced dividend from Petronas, the federal government will have less money for its budget. This means there will be less public spending on subsidies, schools, hospitals, police stations, roads and other infrastructures. Obviously, the most impacted would be the non-oil producing states.
DeleteMereka juga menggugut memboikot majlis angkat sumpah semalam, namun akhirnya semua Ahli Parlimen pembangkang itu hadir dan majlis angkat sumpah berjalan dengan lancar
ReplyDeleteWith Petronas and its joint venture partners unable to commit the extra 15% (or about RM12.5 billion) to the oil producing states of Sabah, Sarawak and Trengganu, the other option is of course to take it from the federal government which receives dividend around RM30 billion annually from Petronas.
DeleteIa secara automatik mengesahkan pembangkang kini menerima dan mengiktiraf keputusan PRU-13 dibuat rakyat menerusi peti undi
ReplyDeleteIf the joint venture partners refuse jobs in Malaysia, we will not be able to extract our oil in an economically viable manner. This may lead to a serious energy security problem for Malaysia: with no one extracting oil, we may end up importing all of our energy requirement!
DeleteSekarang adalah masa terbaik menyuarakan harapan pengundi di dewan mulia itu bagi memastikan proses transformasi pembangunan dapat diteruskan
ReplyDeleteIt is very unlikely for the PSC partner to give up what was already agreed in the contract between them and Petronas. Furthermore, lower profit percentage would make oil exploration in Malaysia unattractive to them.
DeleteWhat the IRB said on May 21, 2013
ReplyDeleteThe Sabah Inland Revenue Board (IRB) expects to rake in RM40 billion in tax collection this year against RM38 billion collected in 2012.
State IRB Director Kamaruzaman Ab Salleh said he was confident the target could be achieved judging from the agency’s collection last year.
“Our collection last year exceeded our target of RM37 billion,” he told reporters after launching a two-day campaign where IRB officers would visit housing estates and business premises to explain and educate tax payers besides helping them to fill up their tax return forms.
If Petronas is unable to pay without jeopardizing its very existence, where would the additional 15% come from then? Obviously there are two other choices left; the PSC partner or the federal government.
DeleteWhat the IRB clarified on May 27, 2013
ReplyDeleteThe Sabah Inland Revenue Board (IRB) expects to rake in RM4 billion in tax collection this year against RM3.8 billion collected in 2012.
State IRB Director Kamaruzaman Ab Salleh said he was confident the target could be achieved judging from the agency’s collection last year.
“Our collection last year exceeded our target of RM3.7 billion,” he told reporters after launching a two-day campaign where IRB officers would visit housing estates and business premises to explain and educate tax payers besides helping them to fill up their tax return forms.
Inland Revenue Board (IRB), Sabah regretted that Bingkor Assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan had chosen to use the misquoted figure in respect of the so-called projected tax revenue to be collected from Sabah by the federal government.
In the end, it is clear that Petronas’ profit, after splitting revenue with others and after paying taxes, is only around 16.74%. If Petronas is asked to pay up the extra 15% from its profit margin, this will effectively render them unable to pay their overheads, financial commitments and re-investment for future income. The end result is financial blow which may lead to bankruptcy!
DeleteTime and again, we have listened to the opposition's over the top vitriol on two very emotive issues to Sabahans; the promise of 15% increase in oil royalty to Sabah and the allegation of federal government taking away all Sabah resources and in return, giving almost nothing back to Sabah.
ReplyDeleteThese issues must be answered factually and timely to prevent anyone from being deceived into emotional shadow boxing by the opposition.
ReplyDeleteLet's start with the 15% increase in oil royalty issue. While on the surface it sounds quite appealing, there are serious concerns over the mechanics needed to bring the notion to fruition. Making promises is one thing; executing them is another thing all together.
ReplyDeleteThe petroleum business is not a business arrangement for the Average Joe. The capital outlay, technical challenges and financial risks are so great and prohibitive that only the companies which have specialized expertise and bottomless bank accounts normally dare enough to go into it.
ReplyDeletemagine trying to lower drilling pipes, 4.5km from the sea level, in an intensely-pressurized environment to search for the elusive black gold. It requires special and extremely expensive equipment and expertise which only the world’s oil major players (the likes of Shell, Murphy Oil, ExxonMobil, etc) possess. The cost of exploration drilling could run into hundreds of millions of dollars which would go to absolute waste should no oil be found in vicinity of choice.
ReplyDeleteThe nation’s oil company, Petronas, like her counterparts in other developing countries (Indonesia, Venezuela and Nigeria etc), does not have the capacity to absorb the financial risk mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteIt is not financially equipped to spend billions on research and development and take on the financial risks in the exploration and production phases when the same billions are very much needed to be spent on the country’s development.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, unlike Petronas - which primarily operates within Malaysia’s waters - the oil majors enjoy economies of scale. They operate all over the world which helps to defray the costs of R&D, the exploration and production phases
ReplyDeleteIn the event that oil is actually discovered, the capital that needs to be spent in the subsequent phases is even more substantial. It is reportedly said that the cost of the oil production phase could reach as much as RM2 billion. Sometimes even more.
ReplyDeleteTo cushion such uncertainties and spread the financial risk, Petronas enters into a joint-venture agreement (known in the industry as Production Sharing Contract or PSC and later, a variant called RSCs or Risk Sharing Contracts) with multinational oil companies like Shell, Murphy Oil or ExxonMobil and others.
ReplyDeleteThese giant oil companies are given a percentage of the oil revenue generated in return of them bearing the financial risk and sharing technologies worth billions in Research & Development.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition always paint the perception that Petronas has been unfairly profiting from Sabah’s oil revenue, so according to them, it is only right for Petronas to give 15% extra oil royalty to Sabah.
ReplyDeleteCan it be done? Is it even doable? Let’s explore the realities. While the following example will not be able to capture every essence of all the JV partnerships Petronas entered into, none the less, it is suffice to give a fair view of what the realities are on the ground.
ReplyDeleteFor every RM100 revenue derived from Sabah oil, 5% goes to the state’s coffer while another 5% to the Federal coffer. Approximately 45% goes into recovery cost, and the remaining 45% goes to the joint venture’s gross profit.
ReplyDeleteThe last option available to Anwar Ibrahim is to increase Sabah’s oil royalty by 15% but in order to ensure he has enough funds available for the rest of the country, he will have to cut Sabah’s federal allocation. Remember, cutting Sabah’s federal allocation is within his prerogative as a Prime Minister.
ReplyDeleteThis option is plausible given the fact he has never given any assurances publically that he would not cut Sabah’s federal allocation which, at the moment, is one of the highest among all the states in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteKalau dulu ramai rakyat Sabah ini berada di bawah paras kemiskinan, kini keadaan sudah jauh berubah dan jumlah mereka yang dikategorikan sebagai miskin atau miskin tegar berkurangan dengan jumlah yang banyak.
ReplyDeleteKalau dulu, rakyat Sabah disanjung tinggi oleh orang malaya sebab Sabah negeri yang paling kaya. Kemiskinan ini hanya muncur setelah sabah dijajahan oleh malaya.
DeletePerubahan ketara yang boleh di lihat daripada segi pembangunan dan taraf hidup rakyat setelah pelbagai usaha dilakukan oleh kerajaan bagi menangani masalah tersebut.
ReplyDeletePerubahan ketara tersebut hanya boleh dilihat di Malaya contohnya twin tower di kuala lumpur dan putrajaya di selangor.
Deletenegara kta amat pesat membangun
DeleteHasil daripada kajian kadar kemiskinan di Sabah yang dilakukan dari tahun 2004 hingga 2012 menunjukkan penurunan berterusan telah dicatatkan.
ReplyDeleteKajian ini hasil daripada Kajian Pendapatan Isi Rumah (HIS) yang diumumkan oleh Ketua Pengarah Unit Perancang Ekonomi, Datuk Dr Rahamat Bivi Yusoff.
ReplyDeletePada tahun 2004 hingga 2009, kadar kemiskinan menunjukkan penurunan daripada 24.2% pada tahun 2004 kepada 19.7% pada tahun 2009, menunjukkan penurunan sebanyak 4.5%. Namun penurunan tersebut tidak terhenti disitu saja tetapi menunjukkan penurunan yang positif untuk tahun seterusnya.
ReplyDeleteSABAH SEBUAH NEGERI YANG MENJADI TARIKAN PELABUR LUAR.
ReplyDeleteSabah menerima dan meluluskan 48 projek sektor pembuatan yang melibatkan pelaburan bernilai RM5.83 bilion tahun lepas, peningkatan sebanyak 373 peratus berbanding 54 projek pada 2011 dengan nilai pelaburan RM1.56 bilion.
MUDAH-MUDAHAN LEBIH BANYAK REZEKI YANG DATANG UNTUK RAKYAT SABAH.PEMIMPIN PUN KENA LEBIH PROAKTIF.
Betul, sabah menjadi tarikan pelabur luar yang ingin potong kos sebab orang sabah semuanya bergaji rendah setanding dengan buruh dari pakistan dan juga filipin. itulah sabah di bawah jajahan malaya.
DeleteKERAJAAN TELAH LAKUKAN PELBAGAI USAHA UNTUK MENARIK PARA PELABUR ASING DATANG KE SABAH
ReplyDeleteTimbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah berkata daripada jumlah itu, sebanyak RM5.55 bilion merupakan pelaburan tempatan manakala selebihnya merupakan pelaburan asing dan pelbagai sumber lain.
PELUANG TERBAIK UNTUK RAKYAT SABAH. GOLONGAN BELIA PERLU MANFAATKAN PELUANG INI
ReplyDeleteTan yang juga Menteri Pembangunan Perindustrian negeri berkata pelaburan berkenaan dijangka menyediakan kira-kira 3,060 peluang pekerjaan.
SEMEMANGNYA KERAJAAN AKAN TERUS BERUSAHA MENCARI JALAN PENYELESAIAN TERHADAP PERMASALAHAN YANG DIHADAPI OLEH RAKYAT TERUTAMA DENGAN MEMBUKA PELUANG PEKERJAAN
PASTI BANYAK PELUANG YANG BOLEH DIBUKA UNTUK MENARIK LEBIH BANYAK PELABURAN ASING.
ReplyDeleteBeliau berkata nilai pelaburan asing di Sabah, berjumlah RM11 juta pada tahun lepas, kebanyakannya dari Thailand untuk pembinaan kilang pengeluaran makanan laut sejuk beku, kilang pembuatan baja biokimia dari Amerika Syarikat dan Switzerland serta Rusia bagi mengeluarkan perabot berasaskan kayu serta buluh.
KESTABILAN DAN KEAMANAN SABAH JUGA ANTARA FAKTOR YANG MENJADI TARIKAN LUAR TERHADAP SABAH
Sementara itu beliau berkata penemuan kawasan penerokaan minyak dan gas baharu di persisiran Sabah menjanjikan potensi yang besar kepada pembangunan industri hiliran minyak serta gas di negeri ini.
ReplyDelete“Pembinaan Terminal Pendaratan Minyak dan Gas (SOGT) di Kimanis, paip penyaluran gas dari Kimanis ke Bintulu serta pembangunan Taman Perindustrian Minyak dan Gas di Sipitang adalah sebahagian daripada projek yang menerajui era perindustrian minyak dan gas.
ReplyDeleteSudah banyak tahun saya mendengar projek paip penyaluran gas dari kimanis ke bintulu ni tapi belum lagi aku nampak pembinaannya. Cakap kosong je.
DeleteMengenai peluang pekerjaan di Kluster Perindustrian Minyak Sawit (POIC), Lahad Datu, Tan berkata, industri itu bukan saja menyediakan pekerjaan bertaraf separuh mahir malah turut menjana peluang pekerjaan berkualiti, professional serta menawarkan pendapatan tinggi.
ReplyDeleteThe Sabah Inland Revenue Board (IRB) expects to rake in RM4 billion in tax collection this year against RM3.8 billion collected in 2012.
ReplyDeleteState IRB Director Kamaruzaman Ab Salleh said he was confident the target could be achieved judging from the agency's collection last year.
"Our collection last year exceeded our target of RM3.7 billion," he told reporters after launching a two-day campaign where IRB officers would visit housing estates and business premises to explain and educate tax payers besides helping them to fill up their tax return forms.
ReplyDeleteSaying that it was also a strategy employed by IRB to meet this year's target, Kamaruzaman said the public need not fear the presence of IRB officers as they were only there to assist them.
He said the operation would also involve the conducting of a special census for corporates, monthly tax deduction for employers, hand delivery of pink letters and serving of final notices.
ReplyDeleteThe Inland Revenue Board, Sabah, regretted that Bingkor Assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffery Kitingan chose to use a misquoted figure in respect of the so-called projected tax revenue to be collected from Sabah by the Federal Government.
IRB Sabah Director, Hj. Kamaruzzaman Ab Salleh, said the figure reported by the English and KadazanDusun section of Daily Express on the May 22 2013 was not correct.
ReplyDeleteHe said instead of RM4 billion as announced by IRB Sabah as being the collection targeted for 2013, RM40 billion was mistakenly quoted.
ReplyDeleteHe said IRB Sabah immediately made a press release the next day through Bernama to request for a correction, and again, on the June 4, 2013.
Hj. Kamaruzzaman clarified that "for Sabah, the targetted collection in 2013 is RM4billion.
ReplyDelete"Last year, 2012, IRB Sabah's targetted collection was RM3.45 billion but actual collection for the year was higher, that is, RM3.67 billion."
"However, this is a gross figure as it includes possible refunds and repayments.
ReplyDeleteThe RM3,085 million figure referred to by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman cum Minister of Finance in his winding up speech in the State Assembly could be the nett collection for 2012."
When contacted for comments, State EPU Director Datuk Ismail Abdullah said, "it is illogical that Sabah could yield such astronomical tax collection annually."
ReplyDeleteHe said based on the clarification by the IRB Sabah Director and knowing that income or direct taxes are the biggest component, at around 70 per cent of the total federal tax collection, the Chief Minister was definitely correct in his winding up speech that Federal Government spent far more in Sabah that what it got via taxes.
ReplyDeleteHe said the Chief Minister's statements pertaining to this matter were based on facts as supplied by the Accountant General Department (Sabah) and there was no issue.
ReplyDelete"Either Jeffery is very selective in his use of figures, or he is not thorough in his reading and research," he said.
More than 433,000 applications for the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) had been received by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) throughout the state.
ReplyDeleteState IRB director Kamaruzzaman Ab Salleh told The Borneo Post yesterday that up to February 1, some 339,000 applications had been approved by the state IRB and all lists had been sent to their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
ReplyDelete“IRB Sabah’s role is to receive all applications and proceed with the necessary screening such as checking applicant’s household income, overlapping applications and valid or invalid IC number.
ReplyDelete“There are cases where applicants who earn more than RM3,000 insist on applying. We still accept the applications but it will be rejected during the screening process. We only approve qualified applications, but they still can appeal if they want to,” he said adding that BR1M was only for Malaysian citizens.
ReplyDeleteKamaruzzaman said all names approved by Sabah IRB would be sent to the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and from there the list would be given to the Ministry of Finance before submitting to the State Secretary.
ReplyDeleteHowever, those who failed are encourage to appeal by filling up an appeal letter (Borang Rayuan BR1M) to reapply for the RM500 fund from any of the IRB offices.
ReplyDeleteHe stressed that reports in newspapers that IRB officers were rejecting BR1M appeal letters from the public were not true as IRB’s role was to receive applications only, not distributing the money.
ReplyDeleteHe said the re-application or appeal letters are available from any IRB offices until February 10th. Yesterday, 30-year-old Nurmainah Wahab from Sepanggar said she received a letter from IRD that her application was rejected because the screening found out that her father has applied for the aid using the same address.
ReplyDeleteNurmainah is married but still staying with her parents under one roof. “I am here to appeal for the aid because my husband and I do not have proper jobs. We are hoping to receive the RM500 to ease my family burden,” she said.
ReplyDeleteJeffry seharusnya sedar yang mana rakyat Sabah tidak menyokong pemimpin seperti Beliau.
ReplyDeleteKejayaan pengurusan oleh kerajaan BN di negeri sabah ini membuktikan yang mana kerajaan ini mampu memberikan yang terbaik kepada rakyat.
ReplyDelete