Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the All India Annual Conference of the Chief Commissioners & Directors General of Customs and Central Excise tomorrow i.e., 8th September, 2009. The Conference is being organized by the Central Board of Excise and Customs, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance on 8th & 9th September in New Delhi.

The two day conference will focus on the functioning of the Department and the emerging challenges before it. There will be a session on administering the Goods and Service Tax (GST), the present status and the Department's preparedness for its implementation. The Conference will also deliberate on other important issues such as IT initiatives, Audit controls, Revenue Collections, and Border management. The conclave will also discuss the initiatives to fine-tune the tax administration and measures to improve compliance levels in Indirect Taxation.

The conference will act as a catalyst for strengthening the Indirect Tax administration. It will also provide an opportunity to the Chief Commissioners and Directors General to interact with each other and discuss issues of general and common nature.

The Minister of State for Finance (Revenue) Shri S.S. Palanimanickam will preside over the valedictory function on 9th September, 2009. GST administration preparedness drives conference to evaluate departmental readiness and strengthen indirect tax compliance and border management. Conference of senior customs and central excise officials will focus on departmental readiness for Goods and Service Tax administration, covering procedural adaptations, IT initiatives, audit controls, revenue collection strategies, border management, and measures to improve indirect tax compliance and strengthen tax administration.