KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's Customs Department on Sunday asked businesses nationwide to follow through on a zero-rated Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will take effect on June 1, and cut prices.

Subromaniam Tholasy, head of the department, said in a statement that all businesses should not wait for the formulation of the sales and services tax (SST), which will replace GST on a later date, and lower prices immediately after June 1.

He said businesses should not exploit the government's desire to lower prices and should pass the tax saving to consumers. Businesses will be further notified about the timetable for a new SST, he said.

The finance ministry announced a zero-rated GST soon after the new government led by Mahathir Mohamad came to power, in a bid to fulfill a campaign promise.

Daim Zainuddin, a member of a high-level advisory council set up by Mahathir, said it would take two to three months for SST, thus creating a short "tax holiday" for consumers, which led many to believe that consumer spending will be pushed up after June 1.