M. Ajit Kumar
Chairman
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs
North Block, New Delhi-110 001
Tel. No. : +91-11-23092849, Fax No. : +91-11-23092890
E-mail : ajit.m@gov.in
Date: 02nd November 2020
D.O.No.39/CH(IC)/2020
Dear Colleague
The month of November has commenced on a very heartening note. Gross GST revenue for the month of October, 2020, has touched Rs. 1,05,155 crore which is 10% higher than the GST revenue in the same month last year. These figures are very encouraging at a time when the economy of the country, scarred by the pandemic, is nursing itself back to wellness. Consistent efforts and stimulus by the government, our digital initiatives for better compliance and anti-evasion actions have given positive results. Our officers and staff should continue to play a pivotal role in facilitating trade and giving further impetus to this speedy recovery.
All government organizations are observing the yearly Vigilance Awareness Week from 27th October to 2″d November, 2020. The week began with the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurating a three-day National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on 27th October, 2020 on the theme (Vigilant India, Prosperous India) through video conferencing. It was aimed at raising awareness and reaffirming the country’s commitment to promotion of integrity and probity in public life through citizen participation. This department, in line with this objective, has over the years, continuously been introducing numerous procedural changes that promote transparency in our actions. Certain of these measures have also been implemented in the past few months. We need to build on these and ensure that the campaign for integrity is not just a one-day or a one-week affair but a continuous and sustained endeavour.
On the Customs side, last week saw activation of the remaining sites/groups for Phase IV -100 percent rollout of Faceless Assessment. Member (Customs) and his team of officers have crafted an informative guide book on Faceless Assessment. the e-version of which has already been shared in the public domain. The said book lists out key take-away for both officers and stakeholders with a separate FAQ section and has received huge appreciation. I am sure that the guidance the book provides will synergise the efforts of officers and trade at the ground level for smooth clearance of goods. The guide book has laid a clear road map ahead for us to strive and improve our ranking in Trading across borders.
The booklet has been released at a very testing transition time for this new assessment scheme. While standardizing processes and practices, we must not raise hyper-technical matters that routinely upset established assessment practices. We should also pre-empt problems, if any, and proactively fix them before they adversely affect trade facilitation. As processes mature and stabilize. in the next few months we can revisit some of these matters for closer scrutiny, if needed. Some Pr. Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioners have touched on this issue on similar lines in their internal communication, which is welcome. I am sure you will profit from these views and live up to the expectations of the trade and the department.
Our officers and staff have worked, and continue to do so, with commendable sincerity during these difficult times, and this makes it even more incumbent that we as a department take good care of our families. In the week gone by, a proposal for ex-gratia financial assistance of Rs. 20,00,000 from the Customs & Central Excise Welfare Fund to the families of ten departmental employees who unfortunately left us while in service, has been approved. DGHRD would be formally communicating this to the families through the Zones.
As the weather changes in many parts of the country and there is a nip in the air, make sure that you take care of your health. Wishing you and your family a good and healthy week ahead.
with best wishes
Yours Sincerely
(M. Ajit Kumar)
To,
All Officers and Staff of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
