State finance ministers' panel visits Australia to study GST

NEW DELHI: With a view to study the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system of Australia, a delegation of high powered committee of state finance ministers constituted by Government of India on Wednesday called on New South Wales premier Mike Baird in Sydney and held discussion on it.

Keeping in view the rolling out of GST in India, this committee is visiting Sydney and Canberra to study the system.

Haryana finance minister Abhimanyu, Punjab finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, finance ministers of other states, and senior officers of the excise and taxation department are members of the delegation, an official statement from Haryana said.

The delegation also visited Parliament of New South Wales. A number of cabinet colleagues of Premier Mike Baird were also present during the meeting.

While sharing this information, Abhimanyu said Australia had implemented the GST system in an effective manner.

However, the system had certain deficiencies, which are now being corrected. He said that by learning from Australia, the GST system can be implemented without deficiencies.

He said that the committee is understanding the GST system of Australia and was trying to find out the benefits that the country received from the system, so that Indian states could also get similar benefits.

After Sydney, the Indian delegation would leave for Canberra and would meet officials of government departments so as to get better understanding relating to GST. The delegation had reached Australia on September 27.