To check tax evasion, Punjab government would soon install close circuit television (CCTV) cameras on all escape routes within the state and Information Collection Centers (ICC) situated at the interstate borders.
The directions were given by the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to the state Excise department while presiding over a meeting of Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioners on Thursday.
Sukhbir conveyed that Punjab Government was considering amending Act to take stringent action against vehicles used to carry goods evading tax.
“This amendment would ensure that the truck or vehicle trying to evade tax would be confiscated and goods seized and there would be no provision for second chance,” he said.
Sukhbir, on his plans for creating a fool-proof check on evasion of excise duty, said that Punjab Government would soon create special Excise Police equipped with vehicles and other modern gadgets to nab the tax evaders.
He said that Punjab government would also recruit in-house law Officers to ensure quick and effective legal action in tax evasion cases.
Directing to speed up refund process, he said that in the areas having lesser number of industrial establishments, the refund process should be completed in 10 days while for others the process must be over within 60 days.
“Punjab government is going to hire a company for the third party audit of the accounts of all the excise and taxation offices across the state. The name of the company would be finalized by the next month end and it would be operational from the month of November,” he said.