Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry welcomes uniform tax for commercial spaces

PANAJI: While thanking the Corporation of the City of Panaji for the downward revision in municipal tax on commercial establishments, Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) has urged the civic body to recover tax from defaulters on a war-footing.
Through a gazette notification on Friday, CCP sharply reduced municipal tax on commercial establishments, bringing in a uniform rate for all commercial establishments.All such commercial establishments will now pay a uniform rate of Rs 237.6 per sqm, a reduction of as much as 200% for some establishments.
The industry body said that CCP now needs to put in place a proper mechanism to identify tax defaulters and adopt punitive measures like non-renewal of trade license if arrears are not cleared.
"CCP should take up on war-footing a collection drive for recovery of house tax. The drive should be taken up in a time-bound manner," said GCCI president Ralph De Sousa. "Incentives can be given to defaulters by way of waiver of interests/penalty and grant of installment payment over three to four months."
CCP had increased the municipal tax rates for commercial establishments but introducing new categories. GCCI had complained that there was "no scientific basis of calculation" while imposing the tax rates. CCP finally agreed to roll back the hike and imposed uniform municipal tax rates for all commercial establishments in the capital.
GCCI has also recommended that CCP should put in place a proper system for timely payment of house tax, including a system to make sure that the notice to pay house tax reaches the owner well in time.