Sitharaman to review ease of doing business, trade and refunds with top tax officers

Mint

2 days ago

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will meet senior officials of direct and indirect tax administrations later this month to discuss measures to improve the ease of doing business, support trade and reduce the time taken to address grievances, said a person informed about the development.
Sitharaman will meet principal chief commissioners in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on 20 June; and their counterparts in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 23 June, the person said on condition of not being named.
She will review the performance of field formations handling Goods and Services Tax (GST) and customs at the meeting with CBIC officers.
Export refunds, cargo delays in focus
The minister is expected to lay special emphasis on timely tax refund processing, especially in export and special economic zone or SEZ-linked categories, the person said. 'Delays beyond 60 days will be scrutinised and zones may be asked to explain pendency and rejection trends with detailed analytics."
Sitharaman will also review the dwell time of cargo clearance across ports and airports.
Also Read: Govt to launch nationwide drive to return unclaimed bank deposits, dividends
Data on automated clearances of shipments based on their low risk profile, interdictions and the time taken for shipment examination will be reviewed across different zones such as Delhi and Mumbai, the person said.
High pendency in Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) investigations, especially those pending over 180 days, are likely to draw critical attention, the person said.
Sitharaman is expected to stress time-bound vigilance action, accountability in physical verification outcomes, and use of technology for process efficiency, highlighting the government's dual focus on compliance and trade facilitation, according to the person quoted earlier.
I-T review to track refunds, cases
The minister's interaction with principal chief commissioners of the Income Tax Department on 23 June will focus on improving taxpayer service delivery, litigation management, and systems accountability. The minister will review age-wise pendency of appeals and push for faster disposal of legacy cases to reduce the litigation burden on the system.
Delays in issuing refunds, including those held up due to non-processing of returns under preliminary assessment, and rectification cases impacted by system-related issues, will be reviewed.
Also Read: Reform push: Insurance amendment bill heads to Parliament
Field officers are expected to present data on pending queries raised with the department's Centralised Processing Centre in Bengaluru, average disposal times and unresolved grievances raised in an online portal.
The minister is likely to question zones with vigilance cases pending beyond permissible timelines and disciplinary matters not acted upon for months, the person quoted above said.
Sitharaman is also expected to appreciate best practices adopted by select regions and reiterate the need for a taxpayer-centric, tech-enabled, and transparent ecosystem across the department.
Queries emailed to the finance ministry, the CBDT and to CBIC on Friday seeking comments remained unanswered at the time of publishing.
Both the apex tax policy-making bodies recently finalized their strategies for the current financial year.
Also Read: E-way bills shoot up to 122.7 million in May, the second-highest on record
CBDT set revenue targets for its different zonal offices to meet the full year direct tax target of ₹25.2 trillion and urged its officers to follow a trust-based approach, Mint had reported on 3 May. CBIC also has laid down its plan for a supportive, people-focused and tech-driven tax administration for FY26, chairperson Sanjay Kumar Agarwal informed officers in a communication, Mint reported on 9 June.