(MENAFN- KNN India) Is GST reverting to the era of 'Inspector Raj'?.
New Delhi, June 11 (KNN) Is GST, the regime propagated by the Government as a big step towards Ease of Doing Business, going back to the days of ‘Inspector Raj' in taxation? There are indications.
KNN India team has got access to an internal order issued by the Commissioner of CGST, earlier, Central Excise, empowering not only the Jt. Commissioner, but Deputy and Assistant Commissioners with unbridled power to inspect any suppliers' premises.
The Order even permits the officers to empower any subordinate officer to ‘ raid' the premises of any business and seize files, documents, computer records etc.
If it is not resurrection of ‘Inspection Raj', what else?
The wider business community of India welcomed GST with open arms due to the single reason that the process will be free from personal interface; in other words there will be no need to make rounds to the offices and naturally try to' facilitate' early action.
What is more important, both the GST Act and the Rule underneath upfront mention that the tax payers will not be harassed except on specific cases.
The CGST Rules specifies Form INS 01 in which a Central GST officer, earlier Central Excise, not below the rank of Jt. Commissioner is required to specifically authorise an officer to inspect the premises of a particular ‘Dealer'.
The form also required to mention the specific reasons for which the ‘raid' is being authorised and a copy of the order is required to be handed over to the ‘Dealer' whose premises is being raid.
While the GST Act provides for such checks and balances to prevent re - emergence of Inspector Raj, the old habits, as it is said die hard.
What is astonishing, the Officer has the temerity to throw away the rule book and revert to the old practice without the slightest hesitations.
The reasons are not far from imaginations.
Being under pressure to collect more taxes, the tax officers has started to adopt old tricks of raid and harass.
While the GST has a transparent system for checking of returns submitted and cross checking with the invoices issued and received, it appears the field officers are not satisfied with that and want to go all out for threats and cajoling.
Or there is some other agenda???
Only time will tell. (KNN/ DB)
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