Patna, Oct. 20: The state commercial taxes department today organised a seminar to initiate a discussion among traders, businessmen and industrialists for the smooth implementation of the proposed goods and services tax (GST).

The department made a presentation on GST to enable the stakeholders with the basic features of the new central tax regime that replaces VAT. The department held the seminar in association with the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Development Research Institute to spread awareness on GST in the light of the delegation led by deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi to four European Union (EU) countries last month to study the common tax system and GST implementation in the EU.

Commercial taxes commissioner Rajit Punhani said issues like whether tax rates should be uniform or there should be a tax band or setting up a tax dispute settlement authority to resolve disputes among the states needed to be raised at the forum.