The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) auditors are done with all the rigorous training in the wake of upcoming GST in India which will be implemented as scheduled on July 1, 2017. But one thing which has confused the auditors the most is that how these professionals will get the access to the GST data for auditing and also where will be the exact department to handle after the GST.
As from the current position of CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) auditors, the department is not able to access the multi-datasets which are being required in advance to analyze and study for the responsibilities of compensation to the states and to calculate the state’s revenue share in the overall tax collection.
The first dataset is associated with the overall revenue which will generate from the states by the means of petrochemicals while the second matter is that from where the CAG auditors would be getting the access to the ultra tight secured GST data as the tax regime is coming close and the higher authorities also mentioned their concerns over this issue.
A sourced officials information reveals that the GST network has already denied the CAG to access its network and data as the mentioned reason comes up that the data belongs to the center and states. Also, it was added that the goods and service tax network is held by the private firms and therefore CAG as no right to audit their data.
The senior officials said that “The government will have to sort it out, or we would have a serious problem on our hands.” The CAG has given a logical reason for controlling the command that the GSTN must be considered as a government handled organization as the significant and last minute decisions would be taken up by the government itself. And like any other Public sector undertaking, the government can place chartered accountants on the auditing of the GSTN but as said by the official itself, “But that is a minor issue. The real issue is where would auditors get access to the data, We are not so much interested in auditing GSTN, but the real issue to be sorted out is the massive tax data from all over the country that GSTN’s network will have.”
