Modi to hold conference with top IT dept brass next month

New Delhi, May 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a conference with the top brass of the Income Tax Department from across the country next month on issues ranging from ensuring better taxpayer services to effective widening of the tax base to strengthen the economy.

Officials said Modi, along with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, may interact with the Directors General and Principal Chief Commissioners of IT during their annual brainstorming and discussion conference in the national capital here.

While the itinerary and other fine details for the two-day conference are still being worked out, it is expected that Modi will be the keynote speaker to inaugurate the session and Jaitley could be the lead speaker where he would talk to the IT and CBDT brass about the government's plans of financial inclusion and ensuring a transparent tax regime for businesses and foreign investors.

They said the conference will be held tentatively between June 14-17 and will have other senior officials from the Finance Ministry discuss issues with the top tax officials.

Modi, in his recent review meetings with the policy- making body of the Tax Department -- Central Board of Direct Taxes -- has been reiterating the need to reduce taxpayers' grievances and ensure a quick resolution of these issues.

Last year, in order to ensure better working of Tax Department officials, the Prime Minister had sought bringing out a new performance appraisal system for the officers which has now been notified by CBDT.

Modi, while addressing an economic event last year, had said these changes, including online assessment of scrutiny cases, carry "transformative potential" in ensuring better productivity from the Tax Department and reducing corruption and also motivate officers to pass correct orders.

The conference, they said, will also focus on issues and latest challenges facing the department, including widening the tax net, ensuring enhanced revenue collections under the direct taxes category and bringing in new technology steps to ensure paperless regime in the department.

PTI