Businessmen not enthused by how CBEC deals with taxpayers

NEW DELHI: A first-of-its-kind Taxpayer Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Central Board of Excise & Customs ( CBEC) has revealed that just around 20 per cent of the respondents are satisfied with the interface offered by the agency, underlining the need for re-orienting the indirect tax wing's focus towards customer satisfaction.

But the survey, conducted along with industry chamber Ficci and unveiled at a conference of top CBEC officials last week, saw nearly 80 per cent of the respondents give thumbs up to the transaction services on offer. Officials interpreted it as a vote of confidence for the electronic systems and other tools introduced by the agency in recent years, which are aimed at making it non-intrusive and easier to do business.

The findings come at a time when the government is keen to change the perception about the tax department, especially in terms of the interaction with taxpayers. Officials said steps initiated over the past year or so will bear fruits in the coming months. In fact, the focus on customer satisfaction has already seen CBEC set up a directorate dealing with taxpayer services and it is now planning periodic surveys to gauge the impact of the measures it has already announced.