the goan I network
MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council's ambitious project of bringing unlicensed and illegal business establishments under the trade license net got underway on Monday, with the civic body opening a dedicated counter for the purpose.
Manned by officials of the accounts and taxation department headed by ATO Abay Rane, the promised dedicated counter was opened right at the entrance to the municipal building. Day one of the special exercise saw traders taking around 44 applications, which they are now required to fill up and return back to the civic body with a deposit of Rs 10,000.
ATO Rane told The Goan that a number of gadda traders as well as hawkers responded to the MMC's dedicated counter, but they were told that the especial exercise is meant primarily for the traders, who have been running their establishments without the mandatory license.
A number of individual households also came to inquire with officials manning the counter and they were told that they too can apply for the house tax as per the announcement made by Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai.
This is perhaps the first time that the Margao Municipality has kicked off an exercise to bring under the tax net, illegal and unauthorized business establishments, whose number is pegged at over 5000 in the commercial capital. The month long exercise, the Council hopes, will drive the traders to rush to the civic body to obtain the mandatory trade license and avail benefit of the MMC scheme.
Secondly, apart from levying the trade license, the Municipality also has a plan up its sleeve to bring the business establishments under the sanitation tax. It is hoped that the Civic body expects to become richer by a minimum Rs one crore on the trade license and sanitation fee heads if the ongoing exercise positive response from the traders.
