Act firm against bad sheep among taxpayers, FM directs GST officials

Ghaziabad: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked GST officers to be polite and make life easier for honest taxpayers, but deal firmly with dishonest ones. Speaking at the CGST building inauguration here, the minister flagged the need for ‘timely conclusion’ of disciplinary proceedings against officers, and said by doing so the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) would send a clear message that misconduct, dereliction of duty or unethical behaviour will not be tolerated. Asking field officers to use technology for faster registration approvals and grievance redressal, Sitharaman also tasked them to “proactively” undertake trade facilitation measures.

“There is no iron wall between you and trader, there is thin air. You can understand where the difficulty is, rather than muddying it up any further.” She said GST officers need to show greater empathy and courtesy while dealing with honest taxpayers and make them feel that they are honourably treated under the next-generation GST. “If there are people who are bad sheep among taxpayers, follow the protocol to get hold of them. But don’t look at everybody with suspicion,” she said. “It is important that you remain polite. The next-generation GST is not just about rates, slabs, simplification. It should make the taxpayer feel different,” she said, adding that politeness, however, should not be seen as a compromise on enforcement. “Keep up the good work, maintain the momentum of reforms, and always remember that our ultimate goal is to make life easier for the honest taxpayer. Don’t give comfort to the dishonest taxpayer in any way. If we do that, economic growth and prosperity will surely follow,” she said.

She said that tax officers need not be ‘subjective’ while dealing with dishonest taxpayers, and only follow the laid down protocol or SoP. On the issue of disciplinary proceedings against departmental officers, Sitharaman said swift conclusion of such proceedings reinforces accountability within the organization. “Prolonged proceedings unfairly affect the morale and reputation of the officers involved - particularly the innocent. For those wrongfully accused, early closure brings relief and restoration of dignity.