Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz today insisted there will be no U-turn on the Tourist Tax that will see consumers paying up to RM20 more for a hotel room per night.

"There is no cancellation," he told journalists in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was asked to respond to the uncertainties surrounding the tax after the Royal Malaysian Customs's retracted its statement a day after announcing that the Tourist Tax will come into force on August 1.

However, Nazri said he was the authoritative person on the issue and the planned taxation was definitely happening.

"Ask me, I'm the minister, I have more authority than the rest.

"The customs cannot do anything because it's the agency in charge of implementation," he said.

Nazri also gave an earlier target date on July 1.

Yesterday, Sin Chew Daily reported that the retraction by the Royal Malaysian Customs was due to the Tourism Tax Bill not being gazetted yet.

Responding to this, Nazri said the law coming into force is already a given.

"It's true that it has yet to be gazetted but Malaysian's don't know the law. Even if the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong does not assent to the law, the gazetting will be automatic and it will become law," he said.

The Tourism Tax Bill 2017 was passed by Parliament in April.

The tax affects both Malaysians and foreigners and is imposed regardless whether they are on a leisure or business trip.

Nazri previously said the tourist tax can raise RM654 million if accommodation occupancy was at 60 percent.

The taxation rate will be as follow:

1. Five star: RM20 per room per night
2. Four star: RM10 per room per night
3. One to three star: RM5 per room per night
4. One to three orchid: RM2.50 per room per night
5. Unrated: RM2.50 per room per night

Exemption is granted to accommodation premises with less than 10 rooms or is registered with the government's homestay programme.

Accommodation maintained by religious institutions, governments and statutory bodies for non-commercial purposes are also exempted.