New Delhi, March 05: India and Australia are expected to sign a social security pact by June this year which will relieve their workers from double taxation and provide for orderly migration.
The decision to conclude the Social Security pact between the two countries was taken at a meeting between visiting Australian Foreign Minister Stephan Smith and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi.
“We hope to sign the pact at the earliest as it will benefit the Indians working in Australia,” Ravi told reporters after the meeting.
Smith said both the sides are “very keen” to sign the pact and working hard to finalise it.
“We are working very hard on it…The striking up of the Social Security pact will be a very good thing and we both are very keen to see the progress,” Smith said.
Officials in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs said the pact is expected to be ready for signing by June and two rounds of discussions on it have already been concluded.
India has already signed similar pacts with Switzerland, Belgium, France and Germany and Denmark in the recent past. Social security agreements eliminate double payment on social security contribution, exempt detached workers from host country legislation and enable portability of pension and prevent loss of benefits.
About his meeting with Ravi, Smith, on a three-day visit here, said both of them discussed wider issues relating to Indo-Australia relationship.
Terming the talks as fruitful, Ravi said attacks on Indian students dominated the talks and Smith promised to further strengthen measures to ensure safety of the Indian students there, who are facing spate of attacks.
-PTI