The government will not consider the basic principle of the goods and services tax (GST) as a broad-based tax, while remaining open to making adjustments to improve the implementation of the sales and service tax (SST), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the government could also consider some components of the GST, but stressed that its core principle is not to increase the tax burden on the poorest segment of the population.