THE Road Transport Department (RTD) has set up a task force to address the issue of widespread underpayment of road tax across the country, resulting in more than RM50 million in lost revenue from January to August this year.

In a statement issued today, the department said an internal audit report of the Transport Ministry and an analysis conducted by the department showed that more than 50% of road tax renewals in Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan and Langkawi, were for vehicles which were registered and used in other states and territories.

RTD said it viewed the matter seriously, and is strengthening the integrity of its revenue collection activities.

It was reported that vehicle owners had made road tax payments at post offices in Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan and Langkawi, as fees were cheaper there compared to other parts of the country.

Because of this, the department had ordered the suspension of road tax renewals at post offices in all four locations from Sunday.

In its statement today, the department also said that it was business as usual for road tax renewals for all vehicles, including all engine capacities at all RTD offices and its business partners. – Bernama, September 3, 2019.