Delhi govt ties up with CEGIS to carry out detailed study of measures for state revenue

New Delhi: The Delhi government and the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday for carrying out a detailed study of measures for state revenue.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said it is an important step in the Delhi government''s resolve to bring in tax reforms.

"We have tied up with CEGIS, who will provide us with high-end analysis to move forward. They will provide us with a comprehensive data analysis related to the GST, vehicle tax, stamp duty, excise duty, along with comparative state analysis for benchmarking to further improve our tax revenue capacity," he said.

Sisodia said people of Delhi will benefit extensively as based on the outcome of the study, the city may see newer tax reforms and enforcement measures in the near future.

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He said in view of the economic crisis due to COVID-19 and lockdown, the Delhi government has faced challenges in increasing its revenues.

"Therefore, with the long-term MoU, CEGIS will offer technical and analytical support for data analytics, and implementation of policies in priority areas of the government to improve the governance and public service delivery in Delhi.

"CEGIS will provide us with a comprehensive data analysis related to the GST, vehicle tax, stamp duty, excise duty, along with comparative state analysis for benchmarking to further improve our tax revenue capacity," – Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister, Delhi Govt

"This includes robust data analysis on aspects of tax design and tax administration. The preliminary report will be submitted by the end of January after studying all aspects by the experts," Sisodia added.

About CEGIS

CEGIS on its website has said that the organisation's vision is to enable a transformative improvement in the quality of public expenditure and service delivery in the Indian States, with an approach that is informed by cutting edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation towards implementable ideas. CEGIS aims to achieve the goals above through a combination of:

(a) independent measurement of key development outcomes to shift the focus of governments from processes & inputs to improving delivery and outcomes,

(b) strategic personnel management to improve autonomy for front-line staff and managers on processes, and increase accountability for improving outcomes, and

(c) strategic budgeting to guide the allocation of public finances based on evidence, cost-effectiveness, and improving public return on investment. Early-stage venture grant funding for CEGIS is being provided by Co-Impact funding partners based in India.

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