On course to reach tax revenue target: Pranab

KOLKATA - The government is on course to reaching its target of mopping up direct tax revenue of Rs 4.30 lakh crore this year, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Saturday.

“Following the rationalisation of direct tax rates, the government is progressing well towards its target of collecting direct taxes of Rs 4.30 lakh crore this year,” Mukherjee said after inaugurating the country’s first fully-operational Aykar Seva Kendra at Chinsurah - about 50 kms from the city - in Hooghly district.

Talking about the steps taken by the government to simplify rates of both direct and indirect taxes, Mukherjee said: “Now people no longer have to be afraid about agencies like the income tax department or the excise department. Our customer-friendly measures have benefited the tax payers a lot”.

He said the government also had plans to bring the Direct Tax Code soon to simplify the procedure of tax payment. “Besides, this will help us generate more funds for our development programmes”.