GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar expressed confidence that the GHMC could collect Rs. 1,250 crores as property tax this financial year by following the "tax mantra" scrupulously.
GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar expressed confidence that the GHMC could collect Rs. 1,250 crores as property tax this financial year by following the "tax mantra" scrupulously.
The Commissioner inaugurated an orientation training program for the Revenue family of GHMC, which includes bill collectors, tax inspectors, advertisement inspectors, licensing officers, valuation officers, assistant municipal commissioners, deputy municipal commissioners and zonal commissioners. The program was organized at a private function hall today.
The Commissioner said that the tax mantra includes, "no increase in tax but better compliance", better compliance through un-assessed, under-assessed / better collection / team work and convergence of property tax, trade licenses and advertisement tax.
Somesh Kumar said that the Standing Committee has taken a "historical decision" by incentivizing the revenue staff basing on their performance. Briefing the session about the incentive structure, the Commissioner said that for deputy municipal commissioners, valuation officers, tax inspectors and bill collectors, 2 months' basic pay will be paid as incentive if they collect 50% more than the collection of the previous year; 1.5 months' basic pay if the increase is 40%, 1 month's basic pay if the increase is 30%, and 15 days basic pay if the increase is 20%.
The Commissioner added that he has put his reputation at stake in getting this scheme sanctioned by the Standing Committee as a token of encouragement to the GHMC's Revenue officials.
The Commissioner said that the Revenue staff of GHMC are the "bread earners" of the organization, through which salaries to 7,000 employees, pensions to 6,000 retired personal and wages for 25,000 outsourcing staff are paid.
He added that it is thanks to the Revenue staff that all developmental works of the GHMC are undertaken, and the expectations of 80 lakhs citizens of Hyderabad are met.
The Commissioner further spoke about the goals for collection of taxes for the year 2013-14. He said that Rs. 1,250 crores is the target fixed for the financial year, with an increase of 65% over last year's collection, with arrears of Rs. 400 crores, and new/increased demand of Rs. 150 crores, and current demand of Rs. 700 crores.
Somesh Kumar further said that the lack of convergence among the various revenue collection agencies in the GHMC has resulted in some astonishing facts: for instance, 22,220 trade licenses are in the residential property tax net, and 1,56,890 is the number of commercial property tax establishments without trade licenses.
Navin Mittal (Special Commissioner, GHMC) in his presentation spoke about the various duties of Revenue officials, and focused on arrear collections, i. e., the issue of red notices to all properties and chronic defaulters, a better focus on those who pay in the month of March, attachment of top defaulters, and the disposal of court cases / revision petitions.
After the session, the Commissioner directed all the deputy municipal commissioners to have group discussions among their Revenue official,s and to submit the targets of the property tax collection.
Later, all the valuation Officers of the Circles offices submitted their targets to the Commissioner, and represented their issues being faced while collecting property tax. (INN)