P Chidambaram asks authorities to share information to check tax evasion

NEW DELHI: Revenue authorities must give up “old muscular” ways of enforcement and switch to more effective use of technology, finance minister P Chidambaram said. “This is the age of technology...We must give up old muscular method of enforcement,” Chidambaram said at a function on Thursday.

He also asked intelligence agencies to share information with each other to check tax evasion. “I think organisations must come forward to share information with DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence), just as DRI must come forward to share information with other organisations tasked with collecting one tax or other or enforcing one law or the other,” he said at the founding day function of DRI.

The minister pointed out that a mass of information resided in Financial Intelligence Unit, in permanent account number data base, registration for excise and service tax for exporters and importer, and with depositories in the capital market and the whole effort would go waste if it is not shared. “Organisations must learn to work with each other, and learn to speak to each other,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of use of technology by agencies like DRI, Chidambaram said, “I think any organisation can change and re-engineer in a very short span of time (with the help of technology).” DRI should focus on the right kind of person, training them the right way and deploying them in the right way so that there could be maximum use of technology, he said.

Theintelligence wing of Central Board of Excise and Customs has 532 officers and staff, he said, adding that the staff strength of DRI will double when cadre review is completely rolled out.

Recently, the Cabinet cleared the cadre review, making way for recruitment for another 18,067 posts over a period of time.