Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday called on Goods and Services Tax (GST) officers to adopt a more empathetic and polite approach while dealing with honest taxpayers, stressing the use of technology for faster registration approvals and grievance resolution, reported PTI.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new CGST building in Ghaziabad, Sitharaman urged field formations to “proactively” implement 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 muddy it up any further,” she said.
The minister highlighted the importance of timely completion of disciplinary proceedings against officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), noting that swift action would send a clear message that misconduct, dereliction of duty, or unethical behavior will not be tolerated.
Sitharaman emphasised that the ultimate goal of tax administration is to simplify compliance for honest taxpayers. “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 courteous treatment should not be mistaken for leniency on enforcement.
While advocating for “honourable” treatment of compliant taxpayers, she stressed that officers should strictly follow laid-down Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) to bring errant taxpayers to account. “But don't look at everybody with suspicion,” she said.
On dealing with dishonest taxpayers, Sitharaman said: “I do not want comfort given to dishonest taxpayers in any way. You do not have to be subjective with them (dishonest taxpayers), there is a laid protocol, deal with them in that way...be polite and get your work done as per the SoP.”
The minister also urged GST officers to harness technology to ease compliance burdens. “Technology and risk-based parameters must do the heavy lifting and not the taxpayer. We do not want anybody from the field formation adding one little more burden or onus on the taxpayer. Technology should be used. You do smart inquiry into the situation and if necessary the taxpayer may be approached for something. But no shifting of onus on him saying give me more papers, give me this, give me that,” she said.
Sitharaman asked officers to map recurring grievances in Central GST (CGST) zones and address the root causes of the problems.
On disciplinary accountability, she stressed that swift proceedings reinforce trust and credibility within the organisation. “The motto for disciplinary matters therefore should be: Ghalat kiya hai toh khair nahi, sahi kiya hai toh koi bair nahi (If you do wrong, you won't be forgiven, if you are right, there would be no ill feeling against you),” she said.
The finance minister also urged expeditious closure of pending GST investigations, with well-reasoned, evidence-based orders aimed at reducing litigation costs.
With inputs from PTI
Speaking at the inauguration of the new CGST building in Ghaziabad, Sitharaman urged field formations to “proactively” implement 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 muddy it up any further,” she said.
The minister highlighted the importance of timely completion of disciplinary proceedings against officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), noting that swift action would send a clear message that misconduct, dereliction of duty, or unethical behavior will not be tolerated.
Sitharaman emphasised that the ultimate goal of tax administration is to simplify compliance for honest taxpayers. “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 courteous treatment should not be mistaken for leniency on enforcement.
While advocating for “honourable” treatment of compliant taxpayers, she stressed that officers should strictly follow laid-down Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) to bring errant taxpayers to account. “But don't look at everybody with suspicion,” she said.
On dealing with dishonest taxpayers, Sitharaman said: “I do not want comfort given to dishonest taxpayers in any way. You do not have to be subjective with them (dishonest taxpayers), there is a laid protocol, deal with them in that way...be polite and get your work done as per the SoP.”
The minister also urged GST officers to harness technology to ease compliance burdens. “Technology and risk-based parameters must do the heavy lifting and not the taxpayer. We do not want anybody from the field formation adding one little more burden or onus on the taxpayer. Technology should be used. You do smart inquiry into the situation and if necessary the taxpayer may be approached for something. But no shifting of onus on him saying give me more papers, give me this, give me that,” she said.
Sitharaman asked officers to map recurring grievances in Central GST (CGST) zones and address the root causes of the problems.
On disciplinary accountability, she stressed that swift proceedings reinforce trust and credibility within the organisation. “The motto for disciplinary matters therefore should be: Ghalat kiya hai toh khair nahi, sahi kiya hai toh koi bair nahi (If you do wrong, you won't be forgiven, if you are right, there would be no ill feeling against you),” she said.
The finance minister also urged expeditious closure of pending GST investigations, with well-reasoned, evidence-based orders aimed at reducing litigation costs.
With inputs from PTI
