FM to inaugurate indirect tax conference

Finance Minister P Chidambaram will inaugurate the All India Annual Conference of Chief Commissioners & Directors General of Customs and Central Excise, here tomorrow. The meeting has been convened to strengthen indirect tax administration.

The two-day conference will commence with performance appraisal of the department in key areas such as revenue, trade facilitation, enforcement etc, followed by a session on the status of automation initiatives of Central Board of Excise and Customs. A separate session is being devoted for integrity development in the department. The conclave will also deliberate on initiatives to fine-tune the tax administration, and the importance of buttressing it with rapid computerisation. Other issues to be discussed include measures to improve compliance levels in indirect taxation, dispute resolution, goods and service tax and emerging challenges before customs.