Vivek Johri
Chairman
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs
North Block, New Delhi-110 001
Tel. : +91-11-23092849, Fax : +91-11-23092890
E-mail : vivekjohri.irs@gov.in
DO No. 62/CH(IC)/2022 Dated: 06th February, 2023
Dear Colleague
The Annual Union Budget is perhaps the single most important policy document of the Government of India. It sets the tone and priorities for development – economic as well as social. Preparation of the Union Budget is a complex exercise involving multiple departments, economists and many other stakeholders.
Revenue and expenditure estimates are to be prepared, multiple inter-ministerial consultations and discussions with various stakeholders are held and representations examined. Consequently, budget documents, legal amendments, notifications, explanatory memoranda etc. are to be prepared prior to the presentation of Budget in the Parliament. The process demands coordination, cooperation, extensive consultation and lots of midnight oil!
The Union Budget 2023-2024 was presented last week. I would like to place on record my sincere appreciation for the all the officers, especially those from the Tax Research Unit (TRU) as well as the Customs and GST Policy Wings for their untiring work in the run-up to Budget 2023-2024.
The week gone by saw the inauguration of a Drive-through Container Scanner at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai. Capable of scanning 100 containers per hour, the scanner will significantly enhance the ease of doing business and ensure integrity of the supply chain by augmenting our non-intrusive inspection capabilities. Kudos to Chief Commissioner, Mumbai Customs Zone – II and Principal Commissioner, Directorate of Logistics and their respective teams for their sincere hard work in the commissioning of this facility.
Last month, cruise vessel, MV Ganga Vilas began its journey from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh, Assam via Bangladesh. She will cover the 3,200 km journey across 27 river systems in 51 days. Last week, Kolkata Customs facilitated the seamless departure of the vessel from Hemnagar Port, West Bengal for the Bangladesh leg of the journey.
Officers of 72nd Batch of Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) called on the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, last week. Addressing the officers, the President spoke of the enhanced role of the Revenue Service as our governance systems move swiftly towards a more efficient, accountable and transparent administration and towards seamless service delivery.
The President urged the officers to remember that taxation is not just a vehicle for raising government revenue; it is critically important for economic and social development. As we discharge our duties, we all would do well to keep these principles close to our heart.
Last week, as the Swachhta Pakhwada drew to a close, the fourth edition of the Swachhta Booklet – “Swachhta Uday” was launched. Also, Swachhta Awards for the year 2021-22 were presented to the respective zonal members on behalf of the winning formations. I extend my warmest congratulations to the award winners. Your efforts are truly commendable and I hope that you will continue to drive the Swachhta initiatives forward, maximizing the usage of facilities created through the optimal utilization of Swachhta Funds.
On the anti-evasion front, officers of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) detected a case of receipt of consideration for transfer of a brand name by an entity to another, without the payment of applicable GST thereon. Subsequent to an investigation, last week, the entire liability of more than Rs. 342 Crores was recovered.
On the anti-smuggling front, officers from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted a passenger arriving at the International Airport in Mumbai and recovered from his baggage 3.36 kg. Cocaine, valued at more than Rs. 33 Crore. Kudos to the officers for their outstanding work!
Before I sign off for the week, on behalf of the CBIC family, I would like to convey my best wishes to Ms. Sungita Sharma on her superannuation. An outstanding officer, her remarkable contributions especially to the cause of Human Resource Management and Infrastructure building in the Department will always be remembered fondly. We also bid farewell to Sh. Virender Kumar Choudhary, from the 1989 Batch on his superannuation. We wish them both the best in their future endeavors.
Till next week!
Yours Sincerely,
(Vivek Johri)
All Officers and Staff of Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs
