Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : A group of probationers of 67th (2015) batch of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) called on the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on September 6, 2017, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Addressing the probationers, the President said that collection of revenue is critical to the task of nation building. The revenue collected by the officers is used for the development of the country. He said that tax collection should be a smooth process and there should be minimum discomfort to the tax-payer. He advised them to remember what Chanakya had said about tax collection in the Arthashastra that a government should collect taxes like a honeybee, which collects just the right amount of honey from the flower so that both can survive, according to a PIB release.
The President said that in a sense, the young officers would drive GST, one of India’s biggest economic reforms since independence. He stated that this is the age of globalization and technological advance. This throws up enormous opportunities for trade and investment. It also, unfortunately, creates avenues for fraud and money laundering. It is their job to promote economic activity and curb fraud. Both these goals are important. He said that the work they do has implications for India and for India’s reputation in the world — as a trusted business destination, with a fair and predictable tax regime. He asked them to be mindful of this big responsibility, according to the PIB release.
The probationers are currently undergoing professional training at the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics, Faridabad.