India, Switzerland agree on sharing of black money information

New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said India and Switzerland have reached an understanding on a number of issues regarding sharing of information in cases of black money being stashed in Swiss banks.

"A team of senior Finance Ministry officials which returned today (Friday) from Switzerland have been negotiating with the Swiss on a number of issues regarding information that India seeks on Black money," Jaitley told reporters here.

"The Swiss have agreed to provide us bank information of names that we will provide them after there has been an investigation and evidence collected against that person."

According to the minister, the Swiss authorities also agreed to accept any findings of Indian investigations into the black money issue as authentic and will co-operate in providing bank information of the people against whom evidence have been found.

"We have agreed to carry this process of sharing information in a time bound manner in which a time frame will be set for the process so that investigation and the request for information does not goes on for ever," Jaitley said whose ministry’s revenue secretary Shaktikanta Das and Chairman of the Central Board of Direct taxes (CBDT) K.V. Chowdary travelled to Switzerland to hold discussions with the authorities there.

Jaitley added that the both sides have agreed to hold discussion for reaching an agreement for automatic sharing of information of account holders against whom substantial evidences have been found.