Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Gustoms
North Block, New Delhi-110001
Tel. No. +91-11-23092849, Fax : +91-11-23092890
E-mail : ajit.m@gov.in
D.O. No. 95/CH(IC)/2020
Date: 01st November 2021
The month of November brings us cheer for more reasons than one. The festive Diwali week unfolds on a bright and a positive note, with the gross GST revenue collection for the month of October touching Rs. 1,30,127 crore. The revenues for the month of October 2021 are 24% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. With the recovery of the economy in rapid motion, simpler but more effective compliance measures have led to buoyancy in tax collections. What is of great satisfaction is that this collection is being achieved without any major change in tax rates. One is now optimistic that breaching last year’s record tax collection is but a matter of time. Thanks to all the GST and Customs Zones and officers for the extra hard work done to make this achievable.
Member (Customs) has last week through a VC urged field formation to achieve the overall average import goods dwell/release time of less than 48 hours through more continuity in goods release. He has also followed up and issued certain guidelines electronically. Field formation should all have by now adopted the Single Facilitation Centre module, preferably of the virtual kind, for smooth clearance/OOC functions. Custom Houses should ensure that final clearances happen effectively 24×7 in such cases, possibly through use of shift system of work. I am happy to find that some Customs Zones like Chennai and Mumbai Customs Zone – I, have already operationalised the instructions. Others should follow this week.
The Special Campaign on Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM) has been under the lime light. Department of Administrative Reforms will be assessing the achievements reported in the SCDPM. Two documents, viz. Special Campaign Swachhta Assessment and Self-Assessment of Ministry of the Dept. of Adm. Reforms, have been shared as a soft copy with all formations. It gives the detailed evaluation methodology and questionnaire that will be followed by the evaluation teams visiting our formations in the first week of November. Let us be prepared and endeavour to ensure that our department gets top billing and also use this opportunity to further streamline our work in the service of the nation.
I am also happy to inform that DGHRD celebrated its Foundation Day on 26th Oct., 2021 marking it’s completion of 45 years. It was in 1976, that a specialised directorate for HR related work viz. DOMS (Directorate of Organization & Management Services) was carved out under the then CBEC. In 2002, it was re-named as Directorate of Organization and Personnel Management (DoPM) and, in 2008, was given a new avatar as the Directorate of Human Resource Development (DGHRD).
On this occasion, an online pledge was administered by DG, HRD to all its officers and staff Over the years DGHRD has stood as a pillar of support to the Board for managing its most valuable asset : human resource. The four wings of HRD have done commendable work in their respective spheres of work. I am confident that they would scale new heights in the days to come and set an example for other departments to follow. Meanwhile, on the welfare side, proposals from DGHRD relating to ex-gratia financial assistance of Rs. 3.36 crore to 58 families / kin of departmental employees who died in harness, including deaths due to Covid-19, were approved. I expect that all proposals are processed and disbursed on priority by the DGHRD and the field formations.
There is some good news on the vigilance side for retired officers too. To expedite disposal of pending cases in a time-bound manner, it has been decided to decentralise Board’s work to the zonal vigilance units for cases pertaining to retired non-Group A officers. Though there is a change in work flow, the final decision in all such cases rests with the Disciplinary Authority, the Hon’ble Finance Minister. In this regard, instructions have also been issued on 29.09.2021. This decentralisation of work will optimise work of Ad. V and Zonal units so as to meet the timelines fixed by CVC.
On the anti-smuggling front, our enforcement wings have been diligent in acting on credible inputs. In a surprise checks on the intervening night of 25-26 October, 2021 by Hqrs Prey. CC(P) Cochin, with the assistance of AIU Calicut (Karipur AP) & CPD Calicut, 5.228 Kgs of gold, cigarettes worth around Rs. 5lakhs and 2 iPhone 13 which were illegally brought by passengers have been seized.
On the anti-evasion side, DGGI Jaipur Zonal Unit has made a Central Excise and GST evasion case of Rs. 870 crores pertaining to clandestine manufacture and supply of tobacco products. Rs. 10 crores has been recovered, with an arrest of one person so far. In this case the assessee, engaged in trading of Flexible Packing Material (FPM), has allegedly been issuing GST invoices to non-existing firms. However, to make the supply cycle complete, these FPM were delivered to firms in Rajasthan that were engaged in manufacture of tobacco and pan Masala. This has resulted in FPM being used for clandestine manufacture and clearance of tobacco products having a taxable value of Rs. 215 crores thereby defrauding the exchequer to the tune of around Rs. 870 crores.
DGGI Ahmedabad Zonal Unit has detected a GST evasion case involving alleged clandestine removal of goods of more than Rs. 90 crores pertaining to manufacture/supply of pan masala and scented tobacco. In this case, a spot recovery of Rs. 25 crores has been made so far. DGGI, Pune Zonal Unit, has brought to light a case involving duty of Rs. 48.58 crores and recovered Rs. 7.01 crores relating to fake invoices generated without movement of goods. Culmination of this case was based on data analytics wherein the said firm had discharged its entire GST liability through ineligible input tax credit (ITC)
. received through two non-existing entities.
On a happy note, congratulations on behalf of CBIC and on my personal behalf, to Shri Siddesh Pande, Tax Assistant from Pune Customs, for having won the bronze medal at ITTF Kazakhstan in the table tennis men’s doubles event. May there be many more such glorious moments in his career.
Before signing off, with a nip in the air during the recent days and a few countries reporting increased Covid related cases, please continue to take protective measures for your family and for yourself I wish all of you and your families a very happy and a safe Diwali.
Yours sincerely
(M. Ajit Kumar)
To,
All Officers and Staff of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
