New Delhi, newly appointed CBDT chairman Ravi Agrawal told Income Tax Department officials that the decisions they take have implications on the country's economy, ease of doing business and international transactions, and told them He asked them to develop a 100-day action plan.
Agrawal, 59, took charge on Monday as head of the administrative body of the direct taxes department of the Union Finance Ministry.
The government issued orders for his appointment last week.
The new CBDT chief wrote a two-page letter to officials and staff of the department which he had access to.
"Together, we must build a professional Department that is well-versed in the nuances of research, sensitive to taxpayer needs, technology-savvy, and aware of our approach to taxpayers.
"Let us be aware that the decisions we make have implications on the nation's economy and the ease of doing business, including international transactions and business," Agrawal wrote in his message issued Monday.
He said the government has directed each department to come up with a 100-day action plan and therefore expects various wings of the department to come up with their proper 100-day action plans and take initiatives "in a time-bound manner".
"These plans can be designed and implemented appropriately at each rank, position and region. Remember that the achievements of the Income Tax Department are a collective effort and the initiatives taken at each level add to the achievements of the Department.
"I urge you all to also prepare short, medium and long term plans for your respective verticals and positions. I would appreciate discussing with the respective teams on the action plans prepared by you," he wrote in his message to the department.
Agrawal said the "complexities" of financial transactions were increasing day by day, even as new business practices and the nature of financial transactions evolved.
"We target a broad spectrum of contributors ranging from new individual contributors to organizations that have operations around the world.
"Let us equip ourselves to understand the latest trends in business and financial transactions so that we are able to address the associated problems with a professional approach," he wrote.
The CBDT chief said IT department officials should "engage" with stakeholders to gather more knowledge about the financial ecosystem on the one hand and build trust in our processes on the other.
"We must integrate more technology into our procedures to ensure that our processes are efficient, fair and transparent, thereby building trust among taxpayers.
“Leveraging modern technology has helped us streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies and provide superior services to taxpayers,” he said.
Agrawal said that while "we are proud" of the milestones achieved through technology-driven processes, government process reengineering and stakeholder engagement, "we must recognize that there are still many areas" that require attention.
He said the CBDT and the tax department were "committed" to putting in place efficient processes to address the problems of over eight crore income tax (ITR) filers and around 34 lakh deductors.
The president said the collective effort of department officials was "essential to achieving excellence and having a significant impact on the nation's economic development."
"As we embark on this journey together, let us remain committed to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and service," Agrawal wrote.
He also urged tax officials to ensure a "healthy balance" between their professional responsibilities and personal well-being as they have "demanding" professional duties.
Agrawal, 59, took charge on Monday as head of the administrative body of the direct taxes department of the Union Finance Ministry.
The government issued orders for his appointment last week.
The new CBDT chief wrote a two-page letter to officials and staff of the department which he had access to.
"Together, we must build a professional Department that is well-versed in the nuances of research, sensitive to taxpayer needs, technology-savvy, and aware of our approach to taxpayers.
"Let us be aware that the decisions we make have implications on the nation's economy and the ease of doing business, including international transactions and business," Agrawal wrote in his message issued Monday.
He said the government has directed each department to come up with a 100-day action plan and therefore expects various wings of the department to come up with their proper 100-day action plans and take initiatives "in a time-bound manner".
"These plans can be designed and implemented appropriately at each rank, position and region. Remember that the achievements of the Income Tax Department are a collective effort and the initiatives taken at each level add to the achievements of the Department.
"I urge you all to also prepare short, medium and long term plans for your respective verticals and positions. I would appreciate discussing with the respective teams on the action plans prepared by you," he wrote in his message to the department.
Agrawal said the "complexities" of financial transactions were increasing day by day, even as new business practices and the nature of financial transactions evolved.
"We target a broad spectrum of contributors ranging from new individual contributors to organizations that have operations around the world.
"Let us equip ourselves to understand the latest trends in business and financial transactions so that we are able to address the associated problems with a professional approach," he wrote.
The CBDT chief said IT department officials should "engage" with stakeholders to gather more knowledge about the financial ecosystem on the one hand and build trust in our processes on the other.
"We must integrate more technology into our procedures to ensure that our processes are efficient, fair and transparent, thereby building trust among taxpayers.
“Leveraging modern technology has helped us streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies and provide superior services to taxpayers,” he said.
Agrawal said that while "we are proud" of the milestones achieved through technology-driven processes, government process reengineering and stakeholder engagement, "we must recognize that there are still many areas" that require attention.
He said the CBDT and the tax department were "committed" to putting in place efficient processes to address the problems of over eight crore income tax (ITR) filers and around 34 lakh deductors.
The president said the collective effort of department officials was "essential to achieving excellence and having a significant impact on the nation's economic development."
"As we embark on this journey together, let us remain committed to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and service," Agrawal wrote.
He also urged tax officials to ensure a "healthy balance" between their professional responsibilities and personal well-being as they have "demanding" professional duties.
