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. 14/CH(IC)/2023 Dated: 28th July, 2023
Dear colleague,
From the Stone Age to the Industrial Revolution, new technologies have constantly revolutionized the nature of work, created winners and losers and have transformed society in fundamental ways.
Today, we find ourselves at an inflection point. The relatively recent concept of artificial intelligence, coupled with exciting new applications promises to change our lives – fundamentally and spectacularly. While some would argue that AI already seems be making many of our decisions – what we would like to watch on the TV, our social media stream and even perhaps our friends, the ability to process alternatives and make logical decisions lies at the heart of what makes us, us.
Herbert Simon, an American polymath who was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1978, explored all the ways in which the “rational choice” framework concealed the much murkier reality of choices made in the real world where the decision – makers may not be fully aware of the consequences of their decisions.
Decision-makers therefore cannot simply wish away the uncertainty of outcomes from the choices they make. They have to develop strategies that specifically address the challenges. This would involve multiple interacting variables; thinking that would cover a full spectrum of different experiences and scales and predict the future with varying levels of certainty.
As officers of the Department, each day we are expected to make decisions that have potential wide ranging impact. While all our decisions may not always be perfect, however we all must strive to make decisions that are informed, well ,thought out and made with a clear conscience.
The days gone by saw the promotion of 682 officers to the grade of Assistant Commissioner of Customs 86 Indirect Taxes. Congratulations to the promoted officers. I would also like to place on record my appreciation for Pr. Director General, Directorate General of Human Resource Development and her team as well as the Administration Wing of the Board for their sustained hard work in the run up to the order.
Last week, Hon’ble Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs conferred the Presidential Awards on 29 officers of the Department for their exemplary service. They have truly earned their stripes. It was a pleasure interacting with the officers and their families on the sidelines of the investiture ceremony in Guwahati.
Hon’ble Finance Minister also inaugurated the GST Bhawan in Agartala, last week. Built on land measuring 0.71 acre, with a total area of about 3000 sq. mt., the building will accommodate the Agartala CGST Commissionerate, Customs Division and Audit Circle Office.
The week gone by also say the publication of the Handbook for Vigilance Administration, 2022 which has been updated with a master list of all relevant circulars and orders pertaining to vigilance matters. A digital version is available on the departmental website for ease of access. Heartiest Congratulations to Pr. Director General, Directorate General of Vigilance and her team for putting together the handbook.
On the Anti-Evasion side, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) detected a case involving evasion of more than Rs. 297 Crore of duty on availment of ineligible Input Tax Credit. Further, the taxpayer had not deposited GST in relation to the debit notes received by them. An amount of over Rs. 298 Crore has since been recovered.
Further, in one of the biggest seizures of foreign currency at an international airport, the week gone by saw officers of Delhi Airport Customs interdict 3 departing foreign nationals who were found to be carrying a large amount of foreign currency. A total of US$ 720,000 and Ђ 664,200 [Rs. 10.07 Cr.] were recovered from their baggage. Heartiest Congratulations to the officers for their fine work.
CBIC organized 7th Tranche of the Rozgar Mela at 24 venues across the country last week. About 3300 new recruits of various departments participated in the event. Continuing our drive to fill up vacancies in mission mode, appointment letters were issued to about 2330 newly selected candidates. I would like to place on record my appreciation for the Administration Wing of the Board and the Zonal Chief Commissioners for their effort in making the event a success.
Before I sign off for the week, I would like to share about a plantation drive undertaken by the officers 86 staff from Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) which witnessed the plantation of around 200 native and endemic plants, in an effort to supplement conservation of the Aravalli ecosystem at Aravalli Biodiversity Park, New Delhi.
The plantation was carried out in association with the Department of Environment Studies, Delhi University, and Delhi Development Authority. Kudos to the officers for their contributions!
Till next week!
Yours Sincerely,
(Vivek Johri)
All Officers and Staff of Central Board of Indirect Taxes 86 Customs
