Ahead of next week’s Goods & Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha has asked all the officers of the rank of joint secretary and above in all Central government departments to attend an interactive seminar on GST on Saturday. “Impact of GST will be felt by all sectors. various stakeholders need to be familiarised with the new taxation system to ensure smooth transition,” Mr. Sinha said in a letter to all the secretaries. “Senior officials can contribute to this in a major way by educating the different stakeholders,” he said. An official statement on the seminar said introduction of GST is the most important reform in the indirect tax system in the country. “Indirect tax structure in India is highly complex with hidden costs for trade and industry. Non-uniformity across the States, cascading of taxes due to ‘tax on tax’ and multiplicity of taxes in the current tax laws are huge deterrents for the businesses.
The Hindu, 19th November 2016
