{
  "id": 16544457,
  "title": "Tak bagus beri Langkawi autonomi cukai, kata ahli ekonomi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/tak-bagus-beri-langkawi-autonomi-cukai-kata-ahli-ekonomi-16544457",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T00:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/10/26/tak-bagus-beri-langkawi-autonomi-cukai-kata-ahli-ekonomi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Economist Carmelo Ferlito suggests that granting Langkawi fiscal autonomy to manage its own taxes could spark similar demands from other regions and states. However, he emphasizes that such decentralization should not be a one-off measure for specific areas. Ferlito advocates for comprehensive fiscal reform, with revenue and expenditure management at the state and local levels throughout Malaysia. The central government should focus on key functions like defense.\n\nFerlito proposes two realistic options for Langkawi: either returning the taxes collected to the island based on a formula, or providing a simple subsidy for essential services such as sanitation, water, transportation, and environmental protection. He believes that these measures should serve as the first step towards decentralization across the country, rather than a special privilege for Langkawi alone.\n\nMeanwhile, economists Saravana Kumar and Barjoyai Bardai support the idea of a structured fiscal decentralization model, emphasizing clear revenue sharing arrangements, accountable budgeting, and measurable development outcomes. Kumar points out that while Langkawi is a major tourist destination, it is important to differentiate between granting greater control over collected revenue and granting full fiscal autonomy and tax collection rights. The island generates significant revenue, and it is worth exploring whether larger tax dividends would be beneficial for infrastructure development, environmental management, and water supply in Langkawi.\n\nHowever, Ferlito argues that fiscal autonomy does not automatically entitle Langkawi to keep every ringgit of tax revenue generated there. The central government also finances national infrastructure, public services, security, and redistributive transfers between regions. Any fiscal reform must take into account national responsibilities. Therefore, Ferlito advocates for a more structured fiscal decentralization model, transparent revenue sharing, and local accountability, rather than persisting with separate tax collection for Langkawi.",
  "summary": "Carmelo Ferlito berkata negeri lain juga kemungkinan kemuka tuntutan sama.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}