Seven urban bodies failed to collect taxes; compulsory tax revenues declined
the goan I network
PANAJI
However, a closer analysis of these receipts reveal that the ULBs have fared poorly on seven of 10 parameters in 2015-16, in comparison to the previous period. In three key parameters, the revenue dropped sharply in 2015-16, over the previous period.
The draft report of ‘Performance Audit on Revenue Collection and Management of Own Funds by ULBs in Goa’ covered a period of five years (2011-12 to 2015-16) and seven ULBs, Corporation of City of Panaji, Mapusa Municipal Council, Bicholim Municipal Council, Sankhali Municipal Council, Margao Municipal Council, Mormugao Municipal Council and Ponda Municipal Council.
COMPULSory TAX REVENUES
The Compulsory Tax Revenues (CTRs) pertain to income from property/house tax, advertisement tax and tax on trades. Figures from these receipts have indicated that the seven ULBs performed dismally on all three parameters of CTRs in 2015-16, in comparison to the previous period.
Property/house tax showed a steady increase over the past four periods of 2011-12 (Rs 14.29 cr), 2012-13 (Rs 15.73 cr), 2013-14 (19.87 cr) and Rs 21.2 crore (2014-15). However, in 2015-16, this figure dropped to Rs 20.62 crore.
By far, the worst performance of the ULBs was in advertisement tax revenue for 2015-16, which stood at a paltry Rs 0.48 crore, in comparison with Rs 1.86 crore for the previous period. So low was the advertisement tax revenue for 2015-16, that it registered a five-year low over the past three periods of 2011-12 (Rs 0.84 cr), 2012-13 (Rs 0.87 cr) and 2013-14 (1.59 cr). In other words, ULBs had collected less advertisement tax revenue in 2015-16 than even in 2011-12.
Similar was the performance of ULBs on trade tax receipts in 2015-16. After generating Rs 0.94 cr in 2011-12, the ULBs increased the trade tax receipts to Rs 1.19 cr (2012-13), Rs 1.93 cr (2013-14) and Rs 2.23 cr (2014-15). Then, the trade tax plunged to Rs 1.39 for 2015-16.
All this goes to indicate that the seven ULBs appear to have been lax in recovering compulsorily taxes from property/houses, advertisements and trade in 2015-16, as compared to the previous year.
NON-TAX REVENUES
The Non-Tax Revenues (NTRs) pertain to income from construction licence fees, rent from lease of property, fee from market occupancy (sopo), garbage fee and other fees.
EARNED LESS
n Property/House tax
n Advertisement tax
n Trade tax
n Construction licence fee
n Garbage fee
n Other fees
n Fines/penalties
EARNED MORE
n Rent from lease of property
n Fee from market
occupancy (sopo)
n Interest on municipal fund
