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business
Tax returns growth ‘still
positive’, says IRB chief
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Tax revenue returns to
the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) are still
showing some positive growth despite
the economic slowdown, said IRB chief
executive officer (CEO) Datuk Hasmah
Abdullah.
“Despite the financial
conditions we are still
noticing some positive
growth, but it is much
lower than last year,
where the revenue
growth was 10 to 15%.
This year, it is much
lower, less than 5%, and
at times, lower than 1%.
It is still positive growth,
and I am confident that if
this continues, we are not
Hasmah
that bad,” said Hasmah.
Hasmah said that the
IRB was willing to negotiate with taxpay-
ers facing difficulties in paying up.
“We are collecting less, and we are
giving concessions to some who are fac-
ing difficulties.
“If they are facing difficulties, we will
allow them to give lower payments and
longer instalment periods for a certain
duration until the situation improves. We
will take it on a case-by-case basis,” she
said.
Hasmah said the reduction in revenue
collection this year was an anticipated
result of the global economic downturn
“Definitely, the collection will be
reduced from last year’s collection
due to the economic downturn which
has impacted the industries, especially
export industries where the demand for
export goods from developed countries
has reduced,” she said, adding that not
all businesses were affected.
Hasmah, who spoke to reporters after
the signing of an online payroll partner-
ship among the IRB, EON Bank Group and
the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), said
that such systems were proven to be in
demand by IRB and bank
customers.
“I do not have the exact
figures, but payments over
the counters, as well as
through electronic banking
through the seven banks
including EON Bank has
now reached RM6.7 billion,
with a total of 1.5 million
transactions, and this is
for the first six months of
2009.
“With internet banking,
they can pay anytime,
anywhere at their own
comfort,” she said.
“I am also happy to say that over
1,613 EON customers have used this
facility since it started in early May,” she
added.
Meanwhile, EON Bank Group head of
Group Consumer Banking Michael Lor
said that the service was aimed at mak-
ing payroll management simpler for EON
Bank’s clients.
“With Online Payroll, all that needs
to be prepared is a salary crediting file
containing details of the required trans-
actions.
“The file is uploaded via EON Bank Busi-
ness Internet Banking for the respective
company’s internal management online
approval. Once approved, the file is sent to
EON Bank for processing,” said Lor.
Rais: 50% broadband
usage target achievable
KUALA LUMPUR: The target
of 50% home broadband-usage
nationwide at the end of next
year can be achieved, said
Information Communication
and Culture Minister Datuk
Bottom: Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
(From left) He said the home broad-
Packet One band adoption now stood at
Networks 25% compared with 12% in
Business 2007.
Development “I will see how the Measat-
& Special 3a satellite could enhance our
broadband capabilities as we
Projects
associate had not been told in detail
director Elain about it,” he told reporters
Lockman, after presenting a keynote
Economic address at the Asian Tel-
Planning Unit ecommunication Forum here
K-Economy yesterday.
Section To be operational this
adviser month, Measat-3a, which
Sumali Amat,
Mazlan,
Packet One
Networks
CEO
Closing the digital divide
Michael Lai,
Nordhausen
and Norizan
at the
P1Expert
Net forum
yesterday.
by Eva Yeong
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: In order to
achieve the country’s target of
50% broadband penetration by
next year, several digital divide
gaps need to be closed namely
access gap, value gap, content
and sustainability of broadband
penetration efforts.
While mobile penetration in
Malaysia stands at an impres-
sive 100.1% which means
many citizens own more than
one mobile phone, penetration
broadband in households is only
22.9%.
“To reach our target of
50% by next year, we need to
improve service delivery, pro-
vide easy-to-use devices and
relevant content,” said Mimos
Berhad head of wireless com-
munications cluster Dr Mazlan
Abbas.
Mazlan was speaking at
P1Expert Net, a forum organised
by Packet One Networks (Malay-
sia) Sdn Bhd for academicians,
private and public sectors to
share knowledge and exchange
ideas on how to fast-track the
growth of connected communi-
ties throughout Malaysia.
According to him, there has
been a lot of focus on access
and adoption gaps, with many
initiatives to provide connectiv-
ity to rural areas and to teach
theSun
was successfully launched
from Kazakhstan on June 22,
will replace Measat-1 when it
completes its service in 2015.
“The satellite operator
(Measat Satellite Systems Sdn
Bhd) should contribute to the
country’s communication
infrastructure. We will pursue
the matter with the relevant
bodies,” said Rais.
In his keynote address,
he said the forum would
enable Malaysia to compare
notes on telecommunication
experience with participating
countries.
“With the good comes the
bad through the broadband
over the internet. We will
introduce certain measures to
overcome the bad,” he said.
them how to use computers
and the internet. However,
there is poor value realisation,
he said.
Apart from providing rural
and marginalised areas with
access to the internet, it is also
important to socially and eco-
nomically empower rural and
marginalised communities.
“We need to create good
programmes to teach them
that ICT can empower them.
It is not enough to just provide
computers and the internet. Let
them see the value of ICT,” said
Centre of Excellence Bridging
Digital Divide head of E-Commu-
nity Research Centre Assoc Prof
Datin Dr Norizan Abdul Razak.
To date, there are 2,130
telecentres in Malaysia with
another 230 in the making, said
Norizan.
“The aim of these telecentres
is to upgrade the ICT literacy
level of communities and to
provide access to the internet,”
she said.
However, there is a lack of
content especially content in
local dialects, and telecentre
operators are not committed
as most of them work on
contract basis with no attrac-
tive salary schemes and good
training. There is also a need to
encourage rural communities to
participate, she said.
To get rural communities
| MONDAY JULY 20 2009
Rais
Rais said not all posted on
the internet were suitable for
the country due to cultural
differences. - Bernama
involved, Mazlan said telecentre
operators could look at the pos-
sibility of revenue sharing which
would also create sustainability
and encourage commitment
among operators.
“For example, operators
could create a portal for people
who make good handicraft to
do transactions online,” he said.
This would create an income
stream for the telecentres as
well as the community.
Intel World Ahead Program
senior solutions architect Dr
Bernd Nordhausen said afford-
ability of computers is not an
issue, with many rural com-
munities having televisions,
some of which are flat-screen
televisions.
“PCs now are very, very
affordable even for rural
areas with the availability of
computer loan schemes,” said
Nordhausen. What needs to be
addressed, he said, is the lack
of awareness among rural com-
munities about the power of the
internet.
“We should expand the
notion of telecentres. Besides
being a physical hub of con-
nectivity, there should also
be connectivity around it,” he
said.
An example would be to
provide Wi-Fi at the telecen-
tres in order to engage more
residents in ICT activities.