Number of CBEC employees to remain same in GST regime: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said that the number of CBEC employees required in the new indirect tax regime of Goods and Services Tax (GST), will remain the same as the extent of tax collections will expand.

"Number of people required in the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) will remain unchanged. Extent of taxes to be collected will expand. There will be adequate opportunities, shouldn't feel this insecurity," Jaitley said at an Investiture Ceremony on the International Customs Day organised by CBEC.

"I see no reason for a disquiet in the CBEC service," Jaitley added after CBEC Chairman Najib Shah sought Finance Minister's intervention as concerns were raised by the tax department officers regarding their service conditions in the new GST regime.

The Finance Minister said that policy changes like GST were an ongoing process and officials must adapt to the changes.

"Change and evolution is the nature. It's an ongoing process and we have to adjust to this change. There is no reason to feel insecurity," he said.

Jaitley said that in the GST regime, the economic integration of taxes will take place resulting in one assessing order.

"For the last several years, the GST has been considered as a larger part of policy consensus in India, where economic integration of the country will take place. Taxes levied by Centre and states will result in one assessing order," he added.

With major issues in the GST being resolved, the new indirect tax regime is expected to be implemented from July 1 this year.