Popular 24-hour convenience store 7-Eleven were forced to say sorry after irate customers flooded social media with complaints that it charged goods and service tax on newspapers.

Newspapers are among items which do not attract the six percent tax, which came into force today.

7-Eleven in its Facebook page said it took products off its shelves after the "technical system error" at its cash registers.

7-Eleven stores nationwide will not sell newspapers until it fixes the fault, it said, and urges affected customers to contact 7-Eleven if similar issues arise.

"We understand that the incident would have caused frustration for our customers and for that we sincerely apologise," it said.

7-Eleven's competitor KK Super Mart also found itself in the same boat and urged consumers who were wrongly charged to claim their money back.

 

"To all consumers, if our shops had charged the GST on things which are not supposed to be taxed, please return the receipt to those shops. The tax charged will be returned," said KK Super Mart on its Facebook page.

Earlier confused and angry consumers uploaded pictures of their receipts on social media sites fuming over GST collected on newspapers, despite the government saying otherwise.

Internet user Jay Thoo, who uploaded a picture of his receipt on 7-Eleven’s Facebook page said: "Unbelievable. Newspapers are GST-exempt. Why did 7-Eleven collect the tax?"

 

Facebook user Loo Chi Meng also complained on 7-Eleven’s Facebook page, and requested the convenience store to rectify the mistake.

 

Soh Mei Yen, who made a complaint on KK Super Mart’s Facebook page, said: "My father bought newspaper from your shop and was charged six percent, why? I have a right to report your shop.”