THE Ministry of Finance (MOF) has announced that excise duty and two other taxes under Budget 2022 – scheduled to be implemented this year – will be pushed to a later date.  

The delay applies to excise duty on pre-mixed products with sugar content of over 33.3g/100g, service tax on delivery services, and sales tax on low-value goods (LVG). 

“These three initiatives were recommended to begin in 2023, however, taking into consideration the needs of industries that need more time to prepare, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises, there is a need to set a new date for their implementation,” the ministry said in a statement. 

MOF said the delay would also give the government time to refine legal aspects of the three initiatives for smoother implementation. 

In Budget 2022, the government announced that an excise duty would be levied on sugar-sweetened products to curb the rise of diabetes and obesity. – Bernama, March 21, 2023.