Compulsive liars to face compulsory penal action
Companies that provide wrong production, pricing and capacity details to the government to manipulate advance tax payouts will now face penal action.
By Anto Antony, ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Companies that provide wrong production, pricing and capacity details to the government to manipulate advance tax payouts will now face penal action.
The ministry of statistics & programme implementation will cross-check data submitted by companies. ���There have been instances of major revisions in data ��� typically in production, price and capacity ��� provided by companies for the same period. There could be various reasons for this, including intentional fudging of the data, to manipulate the advance tax to be paid,��� the country���s chief statistician Pronab Sen said.
A clause in the Collection of Statistics Bill, 2008, passed by Parliament last month, stipulates prison term up to six months if data manipulation by a company is proven. The Bill is awaiting Presidential approval.
���Whoever wilfully makes any false or misleading statement or material omission in any information schedule or return filled in or supplied...shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months,��� the Bill states.
According to the legislation, a statistics officer, or any person authorised by him, can inspect any document and take copies or ask questions necessary for obtaining information. The Bill also stipulates prison term up to six months for destroying or mutilating any information to be provided under this law.
The original draft of the Bill did not have the prison term provision for providing false information. The provision was included on the recommendation of a parliamentary standing committee.
The ministry of statistics & programme implementation will cross-check data submitted by companies. ���There have been instances of major revisions in data ��� typically in production, price and capacity ��� provided by companies for the same period. There could be various reasons for this, including intentional fudging of the data, to manipulate the advance tax to be paid,��� the country���s chief statistician Pronab Sen said.
A clause in the Collection of Statistics Bill, 2008, passed by Parliament last month, stipulates prison term up to six months if data manipulation by a company is proven. The Bill is awaiting Presidential approval.
���Whoever wilfully makes any false or misleading statement or material omission in any information schedule or return filled in or supplied...shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months,��� the Bill states.
According to the legislation, a statistics officer, or any person authorised by him, can inspect any document and take copies or ask questions necessary for obtaining information. The Bill also stipulates prison term up to six months for destroying or mutilating any information to be provided under this law.
The original draft of the Bill did not have the prison term provision for providing false information. The provision was included on the recommendation of a parliamentary standing committee.
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