The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will help reduce 'black economy' activities in the country, said Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan.

He said such activities stood at 20-25 percent now compared with some developed countries at 10-15 percent.

"The GST will greatly reduce these activities, which had existed in many countries," he told Bernama yesterday.

Ahmad said aggressive measures to promote GST had started with the involvement of all relevant government machinery using websites, mainstream media and social media.

He said community leaders in the rural areas had also started to brief the people and pamphlets and brochures had been distributed.

Ahmad said the GST should have been implemented along with another 160 developing and developed countries.

"We are seven years late," he said.

- Bernama