Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has issued a strong warning to officials within the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) regarding increasing corruption. Speaking after a bribery case involving Chennai Customs, she highlighted that a few 'black sheep' are tarnishing the reputation of the entire tax administration. Sitharaman urged officers to uphold integrity and fairness, directing them to strengthen vigilance, use technology to detect fraud, and expedite disciplinary actions against wrongdoers.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday issued a stern warning to officials of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) over growing instances of corruption, saying that a few "black sheep" were damaging the credibility of the entire tax administration.
Speaking at the inaugurat
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FAQ :
FM Sitharaman's warning was prompted by growing instances of corruption within the CBIC, particularly following a bribery case involving Chennai Customs.
The Finance Minister stressed that integrity and fairness are non-negotiable and must be the foundation of tax administration, urging officers to maintain high ethical standards.
Directives were given to bolster internal vigilance, swiftly complete disciplinary proceedings against erring officials, set up grievance redressal teams, and use technology to detect fake invoices and wrongful ITC claims.
The motto for GST investigations should be 'Galat kiya toh khair nahi, sahi kiya toh vair nahi,' meaning wrongdoers will face consequences, but honest taxpayers will not face unnecessary trouble.
The goal is to rebuild taxpayer trust through transparency and accountability, restore public confidence in GST and customs operations, and weed out corruption and inefficiency.