The Cabinet Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar Sinha will be chairing an interactive seminar on Goods and Services Tax (GST) today. The seminar is being organized for senior officers of the different Departments of the Government of India to familiarize them on the important features of GST.The Seminar is being organised by the GST Council in national capital.

Introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is the most important reform of indirect tax system in the country, made possible by Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016. 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. Introduction of GST will simplify the system, broaden the tax base and improve tax compliance.

Impact of GST’s introduction will be felt by all the sectors of Indian economy. Although its benefits will start flowing right from the beginning, various stakeholders need to be familiarized with the new taxation system to ensure smooth transition. Senior government officials can contribute to this in a major way by educating the different stakeholders.

Goods and Services Tax reform: seminar to familiarise senior officials to ensure smooth transition and stakeholder education. An interactive seminar chaired by the Cabinet Secretary will familiarise senior government officers with the key features of the Goods and Services Tax, enabling them to educate stakeholders and manage administrative and transitional aspects. GST is presented as a major indirect tax reform designed to replace a complex multiplicity of levies by removing cascading taxation, promoting inter-state uniformity, broadening the tax base and improving compliance, with economy-wide impact requiring early stakeholder familiarisation for smooth implementation.