Modi to address tax officials’ meet on Thursday

New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with top officials of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) for the first "Rajasva Gyan Sangam Annual Conference of Tax Administrators" on June 16-17, an official statement said on Sunday.

"For the first time, the two revenue boards are holding the conference simultaneously," a finance ministry statement here said.

While the CBDT is responsible for collecting direct taxes, the CBEC looks after indirect taxes.

"He (Modi) is expected to motivate the revenue officers towards achieving high standards in taxpayer-friendly service in view of fast paced changes in the world economy," it said.

"Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also be interacting extensively with the officers of the boards during various sessions on June 16. Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha will deliver the valedictory address on June 17," it added.

As many as 251 officers of the rank of Principal Chief Commissioners, Chief Commissioners and Principal Commissioners from CBDT and 170 from the CBEC are expected to participate in the two-day conference," the statement said.

"On the CBEC side, the discussions will cover subjects like the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation and Best Practices, dispute management, among others," it added.

The sessions will be divided into two broad subjects relating to the government's financial inclusion initiatives, and ensuring a transparent tax regime for businesses and foreign investors, besides issues and challenges being faced by the departments like income tax, customs and central excise.

Eminent guest speakers, including author Chetan Bhagat, will address the conference, the finance ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Centre's indirect tax collections rose by 37 per cent in April-May, compared to the same period of the last fiscal, a part of which was on account of additional revenue measures announced in the current year, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said earlier this week.

"The indirect tax growth rate for the first two months of current financial year is 36.7% with additional revenue measures (ARM) and 14% without ARM," Adhia tweeted.

Indirect tax revenue includes collections from excise, customs and service tax. The indirect tax collection was Rs 1.31 lakh crore up to May this fiscal, which is 16.8 per cent of Rs 7.78 lakh crore estimated in the budget.