The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday urged the IRS fraternity to be in an “overdrive mission mode to promote the spirit of economic nationalism in the country”.
Underlining that avoidable imports were a heavy drain on India’s foreign exchange while also impacting employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, he stressed that ‘Vocal for Local’ and love for Swadeshi were the need of the hour, and must be accorded priority.
Addressing Officer Trainees of the 77th Batch of the Indian Revenue Service in the Parliament House Complex today, the Vice-President said that with a population of 1.4 billion, our tax collection potential remains largely untapped and emphasised the need for increasing the number of taxpayers, not through coercion, but through counselling and support.
Shri Dhankhar noted that transformative taxation reforms over the past decade have reduced the tax burden and removed distortionary incentives, paving the way for increasing the tax base to further boost growth.
Appreciating the fact that tax payers no longer dreaded the tax administrators, he termed it a ‘paradigm shift’, and stated that the relationship between the two today “is one of being in concert, togetherness, and consensual stance”.
Expressing his appreciation for the three-fold rise in direct tax collection over the past decade, the Vice-President, said “A wholesome development is that now the taxpayer is assured that his tax payments are being fully and optimally utilised for national development.”
He also drew attention to recent initiatives in tax services that have boosted confidence of people in tax administration, helped in building trust and enhanced the ease of doing business in the country.
Cautioning that “transgression and overreach of law are potentially ruinous”, the Vice-President stated, “Potential tax payers need to be informed about the advantages of being part of the formal economy, and the travails of not being so.” He encouraged the Officer Trainees to instil in people a sense that the “surest passage to success is to be tax compliant and law abiding.”
Highlighting the key role of young officers in laying the foundations of Viksit Bharat@2047, the Vice-President said, “You must wear the mantle of this responsibility with pride, and with due integrity.”
The most secure route to being an exemplary officer and citizen is to abstain from taking shortcuts and to uphold rule of law, Shri Dhankhar added.