T’puram: Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT), in collaboration with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), will organise a national seminar on the second-generation reforms of goods and services tax (GST) and their impact on state finances and fiscal policies on Monday and Tuesday.The seminar will be held at the GIFT campus in Thiruvananthapuram. Chief minister V D Satheesan, who is also the chairperson of GIFT, will inaugurate the event. Renowned economist Prof M A Oommen will be honoured at the inaugural ceremony.Former finance ministers T M Thomas Isaac and K N Balagopal along with former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb A Drabu, will participate in a dialogue on the past, present and future of GST.The seminar will bring together economists, tax administrators, policymakers and experts from the academic community to deliberate on key issues concerning GST and its implications for the states. Discussions will focus on GST revenue performance, fiscal federalism, changes in tax rates and the impact of GST on the MSME sector.Three plenary sessions and two technical sessions have been planned as part of the seminar. One of the plenary sessions will examine GST from the perspective of practitioners. Around 25 research papers will be presented during the technical sessions.The seminar is expected to provide a platform for detailed discussions on GST 1.0 and the proposed second-generation GST 2.0 reforms, particularly their implications for state finances, fiscal policy and the broader economy.
