Combined Revenue Board - Move challenged in High Court
In our TIOL - COB( WEB) – 152 SEPTEMBER 10, 2009, we had suggested “it's time to merge CBDT & CBEC, and create a Council for Revenue Management”.
Strangely, it has been done in Pakistan on September 12. They created an Inland Revenue Service merging Customs, Excise and Income tax. To start with the Income Tax department is abolished and will automatically become part of the IRS. The existing officers have an option to either join the new service or remain in their present service which would be a dead cadre with no future intake. If all the officers opt for the new service, the service will be renamed “Pakistan Revenue Service” and conduct all revenue and tax business.
How did the officers take it?
The Customs and Excise officers have challenged the move in the Lahore High Court. One of the grounds is that it is in abdication of sovereign authority to international monetary institutions. They also seem to be afraid of the modern version of the invisible East India Company out to come for trade and stay back to rule!