‘Fantastic start’ to Malaysia tax refund scheme

Retail tax refund specialist Global Blue says the first month of the electronic Tax Refund Scheme in Malaysia has got off to a “fantastic start”.

With the introduction of a six per cent GST on April 1, Malaysia’s government launched a refund scheme for tourists, in line with other Asian economies.

Nigel Dasler, Global Blue’s head of commercial for South Asia, said the introduction was a “great collaborative effort” with more than 1000 merchants affiliated by April 30.

However more than 4000 more are still awaiting approval via the Customs Approval portal.

“It’s is very encouraging to note that the average spend per traveller is over EUR700, making Malaysia one of the highest average spend countries within Global Blue. This, coupled with the strong merchant pipeline and transaction growth validates our decision to enter Malaysia. Malaysia is shaping up to be a strong pillar for our Asia Pacific ambitions and I look forward to its continued development.”

Gareth Costello (eTFS Programme Implementation Manager), added that local Customs management and officers have fully recognised the benefits of eTFS with over 8000 transactions digitally validated in the first 30 days of production.

“Our success in Malaysia is due to an exceptionally committed local and international team, which continues to dedicate itself to completing all deliverables and managing a solid handover to operations.”

Azraf Bin Mohamed Tahir (head of commercial, Malaysia), noted that “it has been an exhilarating experience to see the team working hard and cooperating with colleagues from several continents, succeeding to launch a nationwide project so successfully and on schedule.”