澳大利亚生产力委员会即将发布报告，揭示2018年莫里森政府为安抚西澳大利亚而制定的商品及服务税（GST）分配协议，实际成本已膨胀至600亿澳元，远远超出原定的23亿澳元预期[1]。这一成本差距引发了除西澳外所有州和地区财政部长的强烈反对。
根据该协议的设计，2026-27年GST总收入预计为1020亿澳元，其中保障金额外支付达67亿澳元[1]。独立经济学家Saul Eslake指出，"它原本应该在9年内花费90亿澳元，却要在11年内花费600亿澳元，显然没有按预期运作"[1]。西澳财政部长Rita Saffioti是唯一支持现有协议的州财政部长，而其他州和地区的财政部长均主张修改或废除该协议，认为其未能达成预期目标[1]。州财政部长已定于8月14日召开会议讨论此事，生产力委员会的最终报告截止日期为年底[1]。
Australia's Productivity Commission is set to release findings on a 2018 Goods and Services Tax distribution agreement that has ballooned to an estimated $60 billion cost over its lifetime, far exceeding the original $2.3 billion projection [1]. The deal, implemented by the Morrison government to appease Western Australia, has drawn opposition from nearly every state and territory finance minister, with all but one backing calls to modify or abolish the arrangement [1].
Under the current agreement, an additional $67 billion in GST guarantee payments are expected to flow beyond the standard allocation in 2026-27, when total GST revenue is projected to reach $102 billion [1]. Independent economist Saul Eslake criticized the deal's performance, stating that "it was supposed to cost $9 billion over nine years, but it's going to cost $60 billion over 11 years, so clearly it hasn't worked as intended" [1]. Rita Saffioti, Western Australia's finance minister, remains the sole state representative supporting the existing arrangement [1].
State finance ministers are scheduled to convene on August 14 to discuss the issue, while the Productivity Commission's final report is due by year's end [1].