Indian Cost Accounts Service
 | |
| Service Overview | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ICoAS |
| Formed | 1978 |
| Country |  India |
| Controlling Authority | Ministry of Finance, Government of India |
| Legal Personality | Governmental, Civil Service |
| Service Chief | |
| Current Chief Adviser Cost | Shri P.K. Aggarwal, ICoAS |
| Head of All Civil Services | |
| Current Cabinet Secretary | Rajiv Gauba, IAS |
The Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) (Hindi:भारतीय लागत लेखा सेवा) is one of the Central Civil Services of India (Group A) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure;.[1]. ICoAS is one of the six organised finance & accounting services, the others being Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA&AS), Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS), Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) and Indian Communication Finance Service (ICFS, earlier IP&TAFS). It is the only Organised Accounting Service of the Government of India which is exclusively manned by professionally qualified Chartered Accountants (CAs) or Cost & Management Accountants (CMAs). Being the only Accounting Service exclusively manned by Professional Accountants, ICoAS attracted attention of various Ministries/Departments, due to its expertise in the areas of cost, finance, commercial accounts and audit. In view of a number of Ministries/Departments seeking finance experts, ICoAS was organized as a Group A Service on the pattern of the “Participating Offices Scheme” with the encadrement of posts in the Service by different Ministries/Departments of the Government of India in 1978. ICoAS Officers are involved in rendering advice to the Central Government Ministries/Departments/Organizations on complex price & cost related issues and financial matters which covers a wide spectrum of areas.
History
The origin of the Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) dates back to the year 1941, when verification of cost of production and determination of fair prices for Government purchases (including defence procurements) was felt necessary. In 1961, Central Cost Accountants Pool was set up under Ministry of Finance[2] by grouping Cost Accountants working in various Ministries/Departments of Government of India. Indian Cost Accounts Service was constituted as a Group A Civil Service under the Ministry of Finance[2] in the year 1978 and first batch of officers got recruited in the year 1983 through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)[3]
Recruitment and Training
ICoAS Officers are recruited through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)[3]. ICoAS Officers are given training at the induction level as well as through mid-career training programmes for middle and senior level officers, both in India and abroad. Training programmes cover a wide range of topics relating to advance financial management, public finance, resource management, taxation, project appraisal, contract management, modern management skills and also on subjects of contemporary importance.
Role of ICoAS Officers
As Indian Cost Accounts Service is constituted on “Participating Offices Scheme” basis, officers of this service are posted in various important Ministries/Departments like Department of Expenditure[1], Department of Economic Affairs[4], CBIC[5]/CBDT[6] (MoF, Department of Revenue[7]), Ministry of Commerce & Industry[8]; Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers; Ministry of Textiles[9]; Ministry of Home Affairs[10]; Ministry of Corporate Affairs[11]; Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Department of Public Enterprises[12]; Ministry of Health & Family Welfare[13]; Ministry of Defence[14]; Department of Personnel & Training[15]; Department of Space etc. The various functions and responsibilities of the Officers of the service posted in various Ministries/Departments include the following:
- Advising Central Government Ministries/Departments/Organizations in solving complex price & cost related issues, fair prices for various services & products and rendering advice to various Ministries/Departments in the finance matters;
- Examination and Verification of claims submitted by Government Departments, Public Sector undertakings and suppliers arising out of purchase contracts;
- Determining prices of products and services supplied to Government;
- Unit level studies for determining cost & fair prices and making recommendations for fair prices and rates for products and user charges for services, revision of these charges and also to determine reasonableness of prices charged, duty structure, etc.;
- Members of Committee constituted by Ministries/Departments related to cost, financial and pricing matters;
- Conducting cost & performance audit and concurrent audit of industrial undertakings;
- Subsidy determination and verification of claims;
- Development and implementation of Cost Accounting System for departmental undertakings/Autonomous bodies;
- Assessment of Time and Cost Overruns of major projects, conducting efficiency and competitiveness studies and resolving pricing issues;
- Facilitating in conducting audit in GST Commissionerates under Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)[5], scrutiny and examination of assesses’ records, transfer-pricing, determination of assessable value of goods and services, etc.;
- To vet the procurement and other proposals of Ministry of Defence[14], formulate guidelines on costing methodologies, advise Contract Negotiation Committees and evaluation of price offers;
- To perform the statutory functions under Section 148 of the Companies Act, 2013 in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs;[11]
- Price fixation of scheduled drug formulations, monitoring the prices of scheduled and non-scheduled drug formulations, to deal with legal matters, implementation and enforcement of the provisions of Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) 2013 in National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority[16], which aims at making available all essential and lifesaving medicines, stents and implants to all at affordable prices through the instrument of price control;
- To provide advice and guidance in costing & financial matters pertaining to all CPSEs;
- Work of DPEA (Drug Prices Equalisation Account) cell and attending court cases relating to review applications in the Department of Pharmaceuticals;
- Trade remedial investigations in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry;[8], bringing out Annual Public Enterprises Survey, reviewing performance of Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna CPSEs, Public Sector Reforms and revival/restructuring and matters relating to disinvestment of CPSEs in Department of Public Enterprises[12]
- Critical examination of various cost details, advising for cost reduction and improvement in efficiency parameters, appraisal of various investment proposals received from different CPSEs and rendering advice on cost & financial matters with regard to various policy initiatives of the Department of Heavy Industry[17]
- Facilitating the Flagship Schemes and Programmes undertaken by the respective Ministries/Departments.
Organisation Structure
The Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) is headed by the Chief Adviser (Cost)[18] in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. The Chief Adviser (Cost)[18] is assisted by two Additional Chief Advisers (Cost) and other officers in the O/o Chief Adviser (Cost), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance[19], viz. Advisers, Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors in providing professional advice to the Central Government Ministries/Departments on cost, management and financial matters and thereby complementing the efforts of the Government in achieving cost effectiveness and efficiency in operations, schemes and programmes. The organisation structure of ICoAS is as follows:
| Designation | Grade/Scale in Pay Matrix |
| Chief Adviser (Cost) | Level 17 |
| Addl. Chief Adviser (Cost) | Level 16 |
| Principal Adviser (Cost) | Level 15 |
| Adviser (Cost) | Level 14 |
| Director/Joint Director (Cost) | Level 13/Level 12 |
| Deputy Director (Cost) | Level 11 |
| Assistant Director (Cost) (Entry-level/Probationer) | Level 10 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Official website of Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Official website of Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Official website of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Department of Economic Affairs". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Official website of Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Official website of Central Board of Direct Taxes - Income Tax Department". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Department of Revenue". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Official website of Ministry of Commerce and Industry". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Official website of Ministry of Textiles". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Official website of Ministry of Home Affairs". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Official website of Ministry of Corporate Affairs". Archived from the original on 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2021-06-11. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Department of Public Enterprise". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Official website of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Official website of Ministry of Defence". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Department of Personnel & Training". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Official website of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Department of Heavy Industry". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Official website of Chief Adviser Cost, M/o Finance, D/o Expenditure". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Brief write up on Office of Chief Adviser Cost, Dept. of Expenditure, M/o Finance, GoI". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Refer Civil List of ICoAS Officers on official website of Chief Adviser Cost, M/o Finance, D/o Expenditure, Govt. of India". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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