On August 27, 2024, the Udaipur CGST Commissionerate building was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Finance Minister, marking a significant step in improving infrastructure and taxpayer services. The new facility is designed to enhance service delivery and foster a transparent relationship between citizens and the tax administration. Additionally, the ICETAB 2.0 was launched, aiming to improve India’s standing in the Ease of Doing Business Index by enabling faster document processing and increased transparency. The second National Conference of Enforcement Chiefs highlighted the ongoing efforts to balance enforcement with business ease, focusing on combatting fake ITC rackets. In other updates, CBIC officer Shri Jomy Jacob completed the Ironman Copenhagen triathlon, showcasing remarkable endurance and discipline. Furthermore, the DRI Siliguri Regional Unit uncovered a significant duty evasion case involving the import of Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) from Bhutan into India, detecting evasion worth Rs. 33.03 crores. The operation led to the arrest of two individuals and highlighted the importance of regular document matching between countries.
Sanjay Kumar Agarwal
Chairman
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs
DO No. 35/News Letter/CH(IC)/2024 Dated: 27th August, 2024
Dear Colleague,
The inauguration of the Udaipur CGST Commissionerate building by the Hon’ble Union Finance Minister is another step towards our ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure and taxpayer services. The modern building unveiled in Udaipur is not just about accommodating more officers, it is essential to equip the officers with the tools and environment necessary to manage the increased workload effectively and maintain high standards of service delivery – underscoring the CBIC’s commitment to establishing a congenial and transparent interface between the citizens and the tax administration. In her address, the Hon’ble Finance Minister emphasized the need to instil a welcoming atmosphere for the public. Towards this, a simple gesture such as sharing a cup of tea with visitors can go a long way in breaking the ice and fostering a more comfortable and collaborative environment. After all, it’s often in these small moments of connection that trust and understanding are built.
Alongside the building inauguration, the revamped ICETAB 2.0 was also launched, in the august presence of the Hon’ble Finance Minister. The advanced ICETABs align with our broader objective of improving India’s standings in the Ease of Doing Business Index by resulting in faster clearances, accessing and managing the documents on the go, enhanced transparency with new features such as real-time image uploads during examination and reducing overall logistics costs. All the field formations are urged to extensively utilize the improved functionalities of ICETAB 2.0.
The second edition of the National Conference of Enforcement Chiefs of the Central and State GST Formations was held in New Delhi, underlining the collective strategy for strengthening GST enforcement. The conference was a convergence of the Department of Revenue, CBIC, State GST enforcement, and various intelligence and enforcement agencies. The discussions revolved around the importance of balancing enforcement with the ease of doing business while reviewing the actions taken on initiatives identified during the first edition of the conference, with an emphasis on stringent action against the masterminds behind fake ITC rackets.
An illustrious officer of the CBIC, Shri Jomy Jacob, presently posted in Kochi, has completed the prestigious Ironman Copenhagen triathlon—one of the world’s most challenging endurance events. Held in Denmark, the competition required participants to complete a 3.8 km swim, 180 km cycling, and a full marathon of 42 km. Remarkably, Jomy, a seasoned endurance athlete and certified mountaineer, conquered this gruelling challenge in 13 hours and 27 minutes, despite having only recently learned to swim. His journey from a novice swimmer to an Ironman is bound to inspire many and his counsel is both simple and profound: continue to dream boldly, adhere to discipline, and draw strength from the support of those around you!
Last week, the DRI Siliguri Regional Unit uncovered a unique case of large-scale duty evasion in the movement of Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) from Bhutan into India. On the basis of data obtained from Bhutan Customs and the data available with Indian Customs, huge discrepancy was noticed in the cement imported through Birpara LCS. Data analytics further revealed that a large number of Indian consignees were fake/ non-existent. The coordinated search operations by DRI has led to recovery of incriminating documents/ evidence and two individuals involved in this organized duty evasion have been arrested. The evasion detected so far amounts to Rs. 33.03 crores. The team’s diligent investigation in this case is highly commendable! It also brings home the point that periodic matching of documents between the two countries is of utmost importance.
Until next week!
Yours sincerely,
(Sanjay Kumar Agarwal)
All Officers and Staff of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs.
