CBEC – need for a Sixth Member exclusively for Service Tax
Service Tax Revenue in this fiscal would be around 70,000 Crores – there are many States in India which do not have that kind of budgets. Isn't it strange that the CBEC does not have a Member exclusively for Service Tax? Perhaps they should change the name of the Board also as Central Board of Excise, Customs and Service Tax and maybe think of having an Act called the Service Tax Act.
They already have exclusive Service Tax Commissionerates and a DG for Service Tax. It's time that they have a Member in the Board exclusively for Service Tax. The CBDT already has six members and at least to maintain parity the CBEC should also have six members.
It seems long ago, a post of Member, Service Tax was created in the CBDT but CBEC bagged Service Tax with a promise to collect service tax with no additional post and no additional expenditure – that is how Service Tax came to CBEC. But that was more than 14 years ago and for fourteen years they collected the tax with no additional expenditure – now they should be rewarded. They richly deserve a post of Member for Service Tax in the Board and perhaps percolating down the line, they can have Service Tax divisions and some posts of Assistant Commissioners, which will to some extend ease the humungous frustration of the much stagnated lower cadres.
It is understood that CBEC is seriously trying to get that sixth Member Post – We hope the FM will help them getting it.