KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 157 investigation papers have been opened relating to profiteering offences since the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on April 1 this year.
The Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry said the offences were made under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 which saw 104 investigation papers opened under Section 14 (1) for committing acts of profiteering .
"Forty-six investigation papers were opened under Section 21(5) for failure to respond to the notice given, and five investigation papers opened under Section 53A for not keeping records of business transactions," said its minister, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin in a written reply in Parliament today.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Mohd Zaim Hasan (BN-Parit) who asked for the statistics on errant traders who had been charged under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 since GST was implemented.
"Out of all the cases, 15 have been charged at the Special Anti-Profiteering Session court where 12 cases had been found guilty and were fined RM415,500 in total."