Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to meet senior officials from the income tax, GST, and customs departments to evaluate their performance in key areas such as taxpayer services, litigation management, refund processing, and trade facilitation, according to official sources. On June 23, she will meet principal chief commissioners of the income tax department, focusing on improving service delivery, reducing legal disputes, and boosting system accountability. The review will include the backlog of appeals by age and efforts to speed up the resolution of old cases. The minister is also expected to address refund delays, particularly those caused by issues in processing returns under Section 143(1) and rectification cases affected by system glitches.

Concerns may also be raised about zones with long-pending vigilance cases and unresolved disciplinary matters. Sitharaman could highlight successful practices from some regions and emphasize the need for a tech-driven, transparent, and taxpayer-friendly approach across the department. On June 20, she will hold discussions with principal chief commissioners from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to assess the performance of GST and customs field units.

She is expected to stress timely refund processing, especially for exports and SEZs. Refunds delayed beyond 60 days will be closely examined, and officials may need to explain the causes of delays and rejections with detailed data. The review will also cover cargo clearance times at ports and airports, with zone-wise data on clearances, inspections, and timelines under the risk management system.

High levels of pending investigations at the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), especially those older than 180 days, are expected to be critically examined. The minister will likely underscore the importance of timely vigilance actions, clear accountability in physical verifications, and technology-driven process improvements, reflecting the government’s focus on both compliance and ease of trade.