ICT to take centre stage at govt hearings

Parliamentary hearings tomorrow will explore technology issues centred on how to store and manage smart data, as well as the impact of digital technologies on tax practitioners.

During a morning session, the Infrastructure and Communications Committee will meet with representatives of the National Archives of Australia to explore the ways smart ICT is transforming government and industry business models.

The revolution is leading to the creation and collection of large volumes of data for purposes including data analytics, modelling and mapping.

In a submission to the committee, the National Archives said data can provide new insights into how infrastructure is developed, deployed, used and maintained. This has made the collection, storage and accessibility of data a key component in the development of smart infrastructure.

“The committee's role is to identify what government and industry can do to ensure data is collected and made available in forms that are useful and enduring, and that the data component of infrastructure lasts as long as the steel and concrete it supports," committee chair Jane Prentice said.

In the afternoon, the Tax Committee will hold a hearing to discuss a range of issues including the impact of technologies such as the Tax Agent Portal on tax practitioners.

Other issues on the table will include compliance strategies against Uber and other ride-sharing services, strategies to address the cash economy and measuring the ATO's performance against its new key performance indicators.

“The ATO says it has made good progress in improving the experience of its clients; however, feedback from tax practitioners has been less than positive on some matters," committee chair Bert van Manen said.

“These issues are worth further scrutiny by the committee and we look forward to hearing what the ATO is doing to address the issues raised."

Image courtesy of David Francis under CC