Life after GST sucks!!!

It's just 2 days into our post-GST days and I'm already fuming big time!!!  I just have to write this post to let off fumes/steam/smoke/whatever you want to call it from my nostrils/ears/top of my head!!!

I was just at Aeon supermarket briefly today to get our bento for tonight's dinner.  It's one of those light and healthy meals I like to get quite often.

Like this Grilled Saba Bento @ RM6.80 (pre-GST price) with a slice of mackerel fillet (actually half a slice) and a fried egg - my favourite.  
 

Post-GST, it's repackaged (with a tiny pc of omelette, 2 thin slices of fish cake and 3 pcs of edamame but minus one whole fried egg) and renamed Grilled Saba Don and repriced (aka up the price) to RM7.90 (more expensive, less items and then give you the not-so-choice part of the fish) :p  I like it much better with the fried egg.

 

Now, if you do the math, RM6.80 + RM0.41 (6% GST) = RM7.21 only but there's an additional increase of RM0.69 to arrive at the new price of RM7.90 (total increase is 16%)!  So, not only do we have to pay the additional 6% GST, we're probably paying the supply chain's 6% as well).  What to do, as consumers, we're at the very end of the supply chain, so we get the shit end of the deal!!! T_T

Or this Chicken Burger Bento (Small) @ RM5.80 (pre-GST price) with a chicken burger and a whole fried egg (that my son likes).

 

It's now repackaged and renamed Chicken Burger Don and repriced to RM6.90 (post-GST price) for a total increase of 19%! >_<

 

RM1.10 may seem minimal, at first glance, but think of all the other stuff that we're buying and it won't be just RM1.10.  Worst still, they have the audacity to increase the price but give us less stuff.  These suppliers are just heartless and they would use any opportunity to raise prices with no remorse.

 

I didn't have time to really look around at the prices today but just had a quick glance at some of the stuff I normally buy and most have gone up in prices.  Now we know why there was a mad rush to buy stuff before the implementation of GST.  I know that when I have time to check out the prices further, I'm going to be in for more disappointment :'(

 

And worst still is when I looked at the receipt, there's no pre-GST and post-GST prices for the individual items that you bought, you only get one post-GST price.  They then give you a pre-GST price total and a total for the 6% GST.  If that is the case, how would one know which items are subjected to GST?  Since I only bought 3 items and they were all subjected to GST, I will have to wait until I do buy something that is exempted from GST to see if the receipt will clearly show the difference.

 

Another example - Pandora (and some other brands too) have also increased their prices last month prior to GST of between 12% to 15%.  Although I was told that there's no GST on Pandora purchases (but I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes ;D), let's not forget that they have already factored in the 6% when they raised their prices and, mind you, it wasn't just 6%.

 
I've also heard from staff working in the clothing line that they have increased prices of their products before GST was implemented.  So, again, we could be paying a 6% increase on top of already increased prices.
 

In the words of RealGunners, "The GST is charged across all layers of the supply chain, so we can expect a lot of hidden price markups on top of the official 6% on the final products"...and that's exactly what is happening....and these are clear examples of it (or, in some cases, clear examples of the opportunity to violate prices without an ounce of conscience whatsoever).

Of course, at the other end of the spectrum, some might say that we are in control of our own finances and have the power to choose not to buy or consume things that we don't need or want.  But who wouldn't be pissed off when we're not able to afford the same standard of living anymore (or have to change our lifestyle) because of the rising cost of living!

 

So, brace yourselves, people, for the rough and bumpy ride ahead!  It's gonna take a while to settle into this GST crap!!  The cost of my dinner tonight just went up by 18%.....sh*t! >:(