the goan I network
MARGAO
Buoyed by the success of the revenue mobilisation drive, which has enriched the civic coffers by Rs 60 lakh in just five days, the Margao Municipal Council has now estimated that revenue from business establishments by way of trade licence and house tax, including arrears, may touch a whopping Rs 100 crore if the ongoing exercise is taken to its logical conclusion.
And, the civic babus and City Fathers have concluded that the trade licence and house tax on business establishments fetch an annual revenue of Rs 12 crore going by the number of establishments dotting across the commercial capital.
Addressing the media, Chief Officer Siddivinayak Naik, however, lamented that high network establishments, including banks and financial institutions, besides jewellery shops and showrooms are amongst the major tax defaulters in the list of business establishments.
Explaining the modus operandi adopted by his team to get the business establishments clear the tax dues, including house tax and trade licence, the Chief Officer said that the team employed the carrot and stick policy to force the business establishments clear the dues. “We have across establishments which had failed to pay the revised tax. Many of them were paying the house tax based on the leave and licence agreement executed years ago. What we have enforced now is that the establishments were served the demand notices based on the revised tax based on the one-month rent they are supposed to pay, to the civic body,” Naik said.
The Chief Officer pointed out that the civic body has shortlisted around 86 high network business establishments in the first lot of establishments taken up under the revenue mobilisation drive. “Not all these establishments are tax defaulters, but we decided to zero in on them since they were the prospective establishments which could enrich the civic coffers,” he added.
Replying to a question, the Chief Officer said that instructions have been issued to the Municipal staff to conduct an audit of the Osia commercial complex, which is housing hundreds of establishments. “Right now, we have no idea of the number of commercial establishments at the Osia complex. After the completion of the audit, the Municipality will bring each and every establishment in the complex under the tax radar,” he warned.
MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai pointed out that the civic body has given a free hand to the Chief Officer to go after the defaulters with an iron hand. “There’s no political interference in the ongoing exercise. The Chief Officer and his team has been given a free hand to mop up the revenue,” Babita said.
While asking banks and institutions to clear the tax dues, including the trade licence and house tax based on the leave and licence agreement, Babita reminded the financial institutions that they are liable to pay the taxes like any other individual carrying on trade and business in the city,” she added.
The Chief Officer said that NIC will be asked to prepare a system wherein the amount of rent mentioned in the leave and licence agreement gets incorporated in the
tax payments.MMC faces acid test to put in place bye-law to auction confiscated goods
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council headed by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai is facing an acid test to put in place a bye-law stipulating that goods confiscated during an anti-encroachment drive will not be returned back to the owners, but will be auctioned to the highest bidder.
Chief Officer Siddivinayak Naik on Thursday was frank in admitting that the ongoing exercise of confiscating the goods in anti-encroachment drive has no ‘deterrent value’ with the traders and owners displaying the goods back in the passages and footpaths after their return by the civic body.
When the media questioned Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai why the civic body has been dragging its feet to introduce a bye-law empowering the Chief Officer to auction the confiscated goods, she said the Council is very much in favour of enacting such a bye-law. In fact, Babita informed that the MMC Standing Committee held on Thursday has resolved to come out with a bye-law in favour of auctioning of the confiscated goods.
“The Council meeting is scheduled on November 9 and we intend to take a decision on that day wherein goods seized in an anti-encroachment drive will not be returned back to the owners. I expect the Council to pass the resolution and empower the administration to ensure that the city footpaths and passages are keep free from encroachments,” she said, adding that there’s no political interference in respect of the anti-encroachment drive.
The team employed the carrot and stick policy to force the business establishments clear the dues
The establishments were served the demand notices based on the revised tax based on the one-month rent they are supposed to pay, to the civic body
Instructions have been issued to the Municipal staff to conduct an audit of the Osia commercial complex, which is housing hundreds of establishments
Around 86 high network business establishments have been shortlisted in the first lot of establishments taken up under the revenue mobilisation drive
