The B.C. Liberal government has appointed an independent panel to provide analysis of the implications of keeping the harmonized sales tax or returning the province's former tax system.
The four-person panel, led by former Alberta finance minister Jim Dinning, is meant to report their findings ahead of a planned referendum on the HST.
The panel has a 10-week timeline and will deliver a final report to the public by the first week of April.
The controversial 12 per cent harmonized sales tax - which came into effect July 1 - replaced the federal five per cent GST and the provincial seven per cent sales tax.
"Given the fractious debate that has led to the HST referendum, we feel that it is essential for voters to receive an independent, expert assessment of the options in the upcoming referendum," said Finance Minister Colin Hansen.
Other panel members include former B.C. Auditor General George Morfitt, Coast Capital
Savings CEO Tracy Redies, and Simon Fraser University professor John
Richards.
Dinning, chair of the Canada West Foundation and chancellor of the University of Calgary, said the panel understands how important the HST referendum is to British Columbians.
"The panel will do all that it can to deliver to British Columbians a plain-speaking, straightforward
set of facts that will help them make a choice," he said.
While the HST referendum is planned for September, candidates for the B.C. Liberal leadership have said they would move up the referendum to June.
