AP surpasses national average in GST collections, committee to study tax processes

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked officials to rectify flaws in collection of taxes and announced the appointment of a committee to increase revenues for the registration department and offer services in a hassle-free manner.

He said AP surpassed the national average in GST collections by registering a collection level of 28.79 per cent against the all-India level of 27.8 per cent.  The state collected Rs 25,928 crore as against the target of Rs 27,445 crore in the first half of the present fiscal till Sept 2022.

The Chief Minister directed the revenue-generating departments to ensure transparency while plugging loopholes and leakages in tax collection and increase state revenues.

During a review meeting of related departments here on Thursday, the CM was told the half-yearly revenue collection was encouraging and met 94.47 per cent of the target.  He told the officials to avail the services of professional agencies to plug leakages in tax collection.

Reviewing the Transport department, the CM asked the officials to ensure that more vehicles are sold in AP compared to other states and initiate legal action against dealers against complaints of non-delivery of booked vehicles.

He expressed satisfaction over AP achieving targets up to 94.47 per cent in the collection of taxes in the first half of the current fiscal.

Exhorting the officials to provide alternative employment opportunities to improve the living standards of the people brewing hooch, he directed them to get daily reports from women police in villages on illicit liquor and belt shops and stop illicit liquor manufacturing.

Aiming at steps to increase revenue generation in the Stamps and Registrations Department and meet targets successfully, the CM constituted a special committee with senior IAS officers and directed it to submit a report to him in two weeks. The committee, consisting of MT Krishna Babu, Rajit Bhargava, Nirab Kumar Prasad and Gulzar, will submit the report on steps to increase revenue generation while ensuring flexible and transparent policies for the benefit of people.

Jagan told the officials to study the registration policies and methods in vogue in other states.

He asked the officials to create awareness through posters at village secretariats and sub-registrar offices to inform the taxpayers on the available services.

“Not only lands and other properties, the people should also know the details of other services which can be registered,” he told the officials, adding that the details of complaints should be made available in the offices of sub-registrars. He asked the officials to solve the problems of mining lease-holders.