Examine possibility of converting GSTN into govt-owned firm: FM to Adhia

Ten months into the goods and services tax (GST), the Centre is looking at converting GST Network (GSTN), a company managing the IT infrastructure of the indirect tax system, into a government-owned company to protect the sensitive data of companies. 

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has asked Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia to “examine the possibility” of converting GSTN into a company in which the government holds a majority stake, which can go up to 100 per cent. 

The move came after there were reports of leakages of data, including those allegedly by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.

After examination, the proposal may