The Union Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram asks Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to focus on better trade facilitation and in order to achieve that use latest technology and share information with its other counterpart agencies. The Finance Minster, Shri Chidambaram was speaking at the 56th Founding Day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) here today. The Finance Minister said that it is the age of technology and, therefore, intelligence agencies should use latest technology both for intelligence gathering and information analysis. Accordingly, he said that there is need for recruiting the right type of persons. Shri Chidambaram said that in order to do that there is need for change in the method of recruitment of officers and staff, their training and deployment for optimal results. The Finance Minister said that there is so much of information available to share but most of the intelligence agencies remain in sylo. He said that intelligence agencies must learn to speak to each other and share information with each other in order to achieve better results. He said that massive information worth sharing is lying at various platform including PAN data base, registration data for excise and service tax for imports and exports, depositories in capital market and insurance sector among others. In conclusion, the Finance Minister Shri Chidambaram said that DRI should work for better trade facilitation, use latest technology and share information with other intelligence agencies for achieving desired results.

Later the Finance Minister Shri Chidambaram released a Coffee Table Book on DRI on the occasion.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Shri Sumit Bose, Finance Secretary said that DRI is known for hard work and integrity of its officers and staff. He asked them to maintain it and further build on the integrity of the organization in future as well.

Ms. Praveen Mahajan, Chairperson, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) said that DRI is a thorough professional body. She asked the officers and staff of DRI to continue to work relentlessly in a fair, transparent and non-adversial manner.

Shri Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State for Finance, Shri J.D. Seelam, Minister of State for Revenue, Chairperson, CBDT, Members of CBEC & CBDT, senior officers of the Ministries of Finance and Commerce were also present on the occasion among others.

Trade facilitation: DRI urged to adopt modern technology and interagency information sharing to strengthen intelligence outcomes. The Finance Minister directed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to prioritise trade facilitation by adopting the latest technology for intelligence gathering and analysis, reforming recruitment, training and deployment to obtain suitably skilled personnel, and eliminating silos through active information sharing with other agencies using existing data platforms such as PAN, excise and service-tax registries, capital market depositories and insurance records to improve targeting and investigative effectiveness.