New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu said on Tuesday that tax collection should be a smooth process with minimum discomfort to the payer and reminded trainee officers of the Indian Revenue Service that “integrity and fairness” must remain the cornerstone of their professional conduct.

Addressing Trainee Officers of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) (76th batch), the President said that the collection of revenue is critical for nation-building, highlighting the roles of administrators and law enforcers, they will play in the coming days.

This is the revenue that funds infrastructure, education, health, and social welfare. Therefore, you are active participants in India’s nation-building process.

She underlined that tax collection should be a smooth process with minimum discomfort to the taxpayers, according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.

The President said that as Revenue Service officers, they will perform multiple roles — administrators, investigators, facilitators of trade, and enforcers of law.

They are the sentinels of India’s economic frontiers, protecting the country against smuggling, financial fraud, and illicit trade, while simultaneously facilitating legitimate commerce and global trade partnerships, said President Murmu.

She said that their role demands a delicate balance between enforcement and facilitation; between upholding the law and enabling economic growth. She advised them to create systems that are transparent, accountable, and technology-driven, said the statement.

The President said that integrity and fairness must remain the cornerstone of their professional conduct. The young officers are expected to be innovative, analytical, and technologically adept.

In a message on social media, the Secretariat said, “The Officer Trainees of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President advised the young officers to develop systems that are transparent, accountable, and technology-driven. She said that integrity and fairness must remain the cornerstone of their professional conduct.”

–IANS

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