TIOL-DDT 539 · the untouched capture
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<html> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <title>Taxindiaonline's DDT 402</title> </head> <body > <p align="justify"><b><font color="#663399" size="3" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">TIOL-DDT 539</font></b><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br> 24.01.2007<br> Wednesday</b></font></p> <p align=center><font color="#006600" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Help!</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Remember help centres started with much fanfare and closed without much noise? But help centres are working well in some areas as can be seen from the minutes of the RAC meeting of Ahmedabad II Commissionerate. The RAC members asked the appreciated the work of Help Centers and requested to start a Help Centre in Dudheswar area. The Commissioner assured them that shortly Help Centre would be started in Dudheswar. Necessary space may in this regard be provided by the trade.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Other details from the minutes:-</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">1. Validity of UT-1 should be at least for two years, as against the present twelve calendar months – Commissioner promised to refer the matter to Chief Commissioner.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">2. for Pharmaceuticals products the duty rate should be 8% instead of 16%.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3. Cheques of Rebate/Refund claim may be sent by Registered Post by the concerned division and Postal expenses can be borne by the assessee. An applicant at the time of making application for refund claim can forward a self addressed duly stamped envelope for sending the cheque. – Commissioner agreed to consider this request.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><u><a href="http://www.taxindiaonline.com/RC2/inside2.php3?filename=wnew/trade_notice.htm">F.No. IV16-23/MP/2005-Pt.II, Ahmedabad II Commissionerate</a></u></font></p> <p align=center><font color="#006600" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>New transfer policy for IRS</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The CBEC has issued latest guidelines for transfer of IRS officers in the Customs and Central Excise department. And the order is prefaced with profound bureaucratese.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ The successful implementation of tax reforms depends on the efficiency of the delivery system. A significant contributor to the effectiveness of the administrative machinery is a credible human resource development policy, which offers opportunities for excellence and career advancement through a proper placement strategy.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What do we say? WahWah! But then what do we do when people consistently manage to walk over the policy and park themselves in lucrative posts?</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>The salient features:</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">1. Three categories of stations</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">2. ‘A’ category stations</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(a) Mumbai (including Thane, Belapur, Raigarh & Nhavasheva)</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(b) Delhi (including Faridabad, Gurgaon, NOIDA andGhaziabad),</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(c) Chennai</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(d) Kolkata</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(e) Bangalore</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(f) Hyderabad</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(g) All posts in the Customs Overseas Intelligence Network (COIN)</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3. posts have been categorized as field and non-field posts.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">4. All annual transfer orders shall be normally issued by 30th April and, in any case, notlater than 31st May of the year. (and after that may be every week)</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">5. CBEC shall ensure that the database containing the profiles of all Group 'A' officers is regularly updated.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">6. First obey and then complain. All grievances shall be addressed only after the officer has joined his new assignment.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">7. Minutes of the placement committee to be approved in 34 hours.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">8. The normal practice is transfer on promotion.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">9. Directly recruited/ newly promoted Group 'A' officers shall be given intensive training in accountancy for a period of 2-3 months.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">10. directly recruited officers shall be normally posted to a class 'A' station, whereas the officers promoted from Group 'B' to Group 'A' shall, on promotion, be transferred out of the station in which they were previously working, unless the balance-service is less than three years.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">11. All posts in the Commissionerates of Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax and the Directorates of Revenue Intelligence and Central Excise Intelligence have been categorized as field posts.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">12. As far as possible, an officer shall spend the first nine years of his service on field posts.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">13. As far as possible, the senior most officer may be posted as the Executive Commissioner.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">14. All postings in the Board and deputation to technical posts in the Department of Revenue, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), Enforcement Directorate, Authority for Advance Ridings (AAR), Competent Authorities (CAs), Appellate Tribunal for Forfeited Property (ATFP), Customs, Excise and Service Tax Tribunal (CESTAT), Dte. of Systems and Dte. of Vigilance and Settlement Commission shall not count towards calculation of stay at a particular station/area but may be so counted at the option of the officer.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>The sensitive and non sensitive posts. What do they mean? </b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">All posts have been categorized as sensitive and non sensitive. What does the government mean by this? Are sensitive posts lucrative ones where one can make a lot of money?</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">While the post of jurisdictional commissioners is sensitive, the post of Commissioner (Appeals) is non sensitive. Why? God and Board knows.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Directorates of Revenue Intelligence, Central Excise Intelligence, Vigilance, Narcotics are sensitive while all other directorates are non sensitive.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br> Whatever be the policy, what is required is its proper implementation. If there is equity and a level playing field, may be the high moral aims of the Board can be achieved.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><u><a href="http://www.taxindiaonline.com/RC2/subCatDesc.php3?subCatDisp_Id=70&filename=pitara/policy/amended.htm">CBEC F.No.C-50/ 17/2006-Ad.IIDated : January 11, 2007 </a></u></font></p> <p align=center><font color="#006600" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>PM on FM</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh released a book `A view from the Outside Why good economics works for everyone’ written by the Finance Minister Chidambaram. Quotable quotes from the PM’s speech.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ Newspaper columns are not always meant for posterity. Many of them are forgotten even before the day is out!</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ However, some columnists deserve not just a wider readership but also deserve to be read by future generations.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ They (Chidambaram’s articles) are intelligent, articulate critique of the government of the day and need to be studied by future generations for the insights they provide into our governance processes.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ I have greatly benefited from Shri Chidambaram’s wisdom, acumen, experience and knowledge of the functioning of a modern economy.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ He is undoubtedly one of the hardest working and most intellectually alive persons of the day.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ I have always been impressed by his energy and enthusiasm, and his deep commitment to his work.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ We have been colleagues in Government in the past. He was a great source of strength and support for me in 1991, during the early years of economic reform and liberalization.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ In fact, apart from the fiscal stabilization we had to undertake in the Ministry of Finance at that time, an important aspect of reform was of the external sector and in the realm of trade and he was an enthusiastic partner in this process.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ Even the most ardent of reformers find it difficult to obliterate their own empires of power and patronage. But that is what Chidambaram did as Commerce Minister.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ I think he was one of the few ministers who presided over the shrinking of his own ministry, disproving the usual notions of political economy that all politicians and bureaucrats aim to expand their personal empires!</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ He closed down sections of the ministry that had been rendered redundant by the trade and industrial policy changes we had initiated.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ He remained committed to our agenda of fiscal reform even after our Government changed and he became part of the United Front Ministry. I think it was his budget of 1997 that was called a `dream budget’</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ Being in opposition is always a good thing for politicians. It is a humbling experience. It is also a time to reflect on the policies practiced when one is in power, their positive and negative repercussions and the course corrections that may be needed.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ It is a time to observe the working of another government which has come to office after having defeated an incumbent and try to understand whether they are able to put their chance in office to good use.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ While not all politicians put the spare time to good use, this book tells us that Chidambaram certainly did so.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ It is clear that during the period he was out of government, he had the time to reflect on issues of social and national concern.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ I think those who are now in opposition should learn from the way Chidambaram handled spare time on his hands and make better use of their time.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ Though I am not sure how may of them can write as well as Shri Chidambaram does, and write so intelligently.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ Few can match his knowledge, wisdom, experience, humour and the ease of expression.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ He is a great asset and the country will need his services for a long time to come.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">When he is out of power PC is also a smart and busy lawyer in the Supreme Court apart from writing. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A couple of quotes from PC’s speech at the Infosys Silver Jubilee function may be worth recalling.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ My first brush with the State was when I applied for foreign exchange to join the <st1:place>Harvard Business School. Everyone denied me the exchange, although the HBS had granted me admission. Finally, thanks to the kindness of a gentleman called the Chief Controller of Foreign Exchange who gave me a grand allowance of $ 7 a day to pay for my board, my food, my personal expenses for 10 months in a year irrespective of the fact whether I had a place to stay or food to eat for the remaining two months and this opened my eyes because there was something fundamentally wrong about the way we organised our affairs in the country.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">++ I was introduced to a gentleman who introduced himself as the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports. I asked him, little knowing that within a month, I would become his Minister: I understand why you are the chief controller of imports, but please tell me why you are the chief controller of exports? He had no answer and within a month when I was his Minister I told him I am abolishing your post.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font color="#FF6666" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Until tomorrow with more DDT </font></p> <p align="justify"><font color="#FF6666" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Have a nice day. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font color="#FF6666" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mail your comments to</font><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <a href="mailto:vijaywrite@taxindiaonline.com">vijaywrite@taxindiaonline.com</a></span></font></p> </body> </html>