the goan I network
vasco
The NGO ‘Goa First’ on Wednesday hit out at the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) for hiking trade licence fees and signboard charges.
“The MMC is making lives difficult for middle class businessmen in the city but had conveniently let go of major chunks of revenue that they have to recover from the large corporates in Vasco,” claimed ‘Goa First’ Convenor Parshuram Sonurlekar.
The MMC has hiked the fees for trade licences and signboard charges and MMC Chairperson Kritesh Gaonkar said the move would generate revenue for the MMC.
“If this is done for the sake of revenue generation as MMC is struggling for funds, then where are the grants that they regularly claim to be receiving from the DMA? If they really don’t have the funds, then why are they spending so much money on the centenary celebrations,” asked Sonurlekar.
“The MMC is yet to recover Rs 22 crore in construction fees from the flyover project and around Rs 5.5 crore from the MPT, in regard to the rent from private companies operating in the port.”
“The MMC has ignored such huge recoveries despite memorandums submitted to them by citizens and have begun to run after the common man.”
“We had spoken to MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes to grant a waiver on house tax for one year, on the occasion of the MMC Centenary Year. But they have done the opposite by hiking trade licence fees.”
“Spending crores of rupees on centenary celebrations while hiking fees from the common man is not fair,” Sonurlekar added.
