Expert panel to be formed to advise on tax

KOCHI: Finance Minister K M Mani has said an expert monitoring committee will be formed to advise the state government on tax policies.He said this while delivering the keynote address in a discussion on the State Budget that was organised by the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Saturday.Mani said he would make corrections in the budget if anybody points out the faults in it.“I think the Kerala society has already welcomed the budget,” he said, adding that there will be a discussion on budget in the Legislative Assembly to make any corrections if necessary.He said that there may be shortcomings as it was a revised budget.“It was like buying an old building and renovating it.The foundation was damaged,” he said.“First, we will reinforce it. Then renovate it.” Mobilising additional resources and reducing administrative expenses are the ways adopted by the state government to reduce the gap between income and expenditure.He claimed that the infrastructure projects in the state, including in Kochi, have been given prominence in the budget.Later, speaking at another function organised by Kerala Merchants Union, the minister said the budget had been prepared after taking the merchants community into confidence.The budget has tried to address the issues of unemployment and problems in the agriculture sector, he added.The finance department will soon launch a website to redress grievances of tax payers.The public can post their complaints on the website, the minister said.