Circuit Bench of CESTAT very soon in city: Justice Raghuram

(UNI) Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) President Justice G Raghuram announced that Circuit Bench will be constituted very soon here for the benefit of the assessees in Andhra Pradesh. Participating at felicitation programme organised by Federation of Andhra Pradsh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) here today, Justice Raghuram said before this year ends the CESTAT will start their bench at Hyderabad. at present, there was a demand for four benches at different places, but presently CESTAT decided to start three benches including of Hyderabad bench. FAPCCI President Devendra Surana in his welcome address conveyed his best wishes to Justice for his tenure at CESTAT, New Delhi. He also dren the attention of the President to the Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme, 2013. "The scheme was proposed with a view to mop up collections, to bring more assessees on record and also to reduce the litigation. This is a noble endeavor and we as a Chamber welcome it," Mr Surana said. However, there is a bit of lacuna in the said Scheme. Under the Scheme non-filers and stop filers are being granted amenity. While the objective of the Amnesty Scheme is to cover persons who have neither disclosed the Service Tax Payable nor paid the tax so as to widen the tax base, we request that the objective of the Scheme be extended to reduce litigation by including even cases where proceedings have been commenced by issuance of a notice or investigation/audit has been initiated or Service Tax paid at variance with the returns filed but adjudication has not yet taken place. by extending the Scheme as mentioned, it will reduce a lot of litigation and also the burden on the existing Benches," he said. UNI