Central Excise Act, 1944
14A. SPECIAL AUDIT IN CERTAIN CASES.
(1) If at any stage of enquiry, investigation or any other
proceedings before him, any Central Excise Officer not below the rank of an
Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise, having regard to the nature and
complexity of the case and the interest of revenue, is of the opinion that the
value has not been correctly declared or determined by a manufacturer or any
person, he may, with the previous approval of the Chief Commissioner of Central
Excise, direct such manufacturer or such person to get the accounts of his
factory, office, depots, distributors or any other place, as may be specified
by the said Central Excise Officer, audited by a cost accountant, nominated by
the Chief Commissioner of Central Excise in this behalf.
(2) The cost accountant, so nominated shall, within the period
specified by the Central Excise Officer, submit a report of such audit duly
signed and certified by him to the said Central Excise Officer mentioning
therein such other particulars as may be specified :
Provided that the Central Excise Officer may, on an
application made to him in this behalf by the manufacturer or the person and
for any material and sufficient reason, extend the said period by such further
period or periods as he thinks fit; so, however, that the aggregate of the
period originally fixed and the period or periods so extended shall not, in any
case, exceed one hundred and eighty days from the date on which the direction
under sub-section (1) is received by the manufacturer or the person.
(3) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall have effect
notwithstanding that the accounts of the manufacturer or person aforesaid have
been audited under any other law for the time being in force or otherwise.
(4) The expenses of, and incidental to, such audit (including
the remuneration of the cost accountant) shall be determined by the Chief
Commissioner of Central Excise (which determination shall be final) and paid by
the manufacturer or person and in default of such payment, shall be recoverable
from the manufacturer or the person in the manner provided in section 11 for
the recovery of sums due to the Government.
(5) The manufacturer or the person shall be given an opportunity
of being heard in respect of any material gathered on the basis of audit under
sub-section (1) and proposed to be utilized in any proceedings under this Act
or rules made thereunder .
Explanation : For the purpose of
this section, "cost accountant" shall have the meaning assigned to it
in clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Cost and Works Accountants
Act, 1959 (23 of 1959). 83 ]