India needs change in revenue audit methods to adapt to GST: Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General

Dated 16th December, 2016

Government auditor CAG is readying itself to adapt to the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime as new audit techniques would be required based on a unified tax system once it comes into force, a top official said on Friday. “We will have to bring technological changes because GST is going to be implemented soon. We will have to change our ways and approach, as our approach of revenue audit was based on state levies and central levies. And we are already preparing ourselves for new techniques,” Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) H Pradeep Rao said in Delhi.

Rao was speaking at IPAI seminar on ‘Audit-an Effective Instrument of Public Accountability – The Changes Ahead.’

“The state governments are all on board with regard to GST and they will also have to integrate to the network (GSTN). So whether it is use of data analytics or use of technology, we are changing continuously. And we are making best efforts.”

There is a continuous endeavour on part of the CAG to keep abreast with the changing requirements and adapting to new technologies, Rao added.

But he also pointed towards the need to strengthen CAG office institutionally as officials mostly find themselves in difficult situations to get access to information, which is more prevalent in cases of state governments.

There are deficiencies in getting information while auditing the Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects as the private partners try to conceal information, he said.

In his special address, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and former Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) suggested that NGOs should be brought under the purview of CAG audit in view of foreign, central and other source of funds.

(This article is published in Indian Express on December 16, 2016)