BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat yesterday hit the mining industry and also introduced a tax on professionals for the first time, in an attempt to mop additional resources for the welfare of common man and the state, under the current global recession.
Presenting the additional budget in the House yesterday, Kamat said the new taxes were aimed at achieving higher inclusive growth, through greater spending on infrastructure and social sectors.
Kamat hoped to net an additional revenue of Rs 516.40 crore through these taxes and garner a total of Rs 440 crore annually from the new initiatives - Land Replenishment-cum-Green Environment Charges from the mining industry at the rate of Rs 30 per tonne of rejects.
It expects a revenue collection of Rs 375 crore per year from this new initiative.
Also, through the Goa State Tax on Professionals, Trade, Callings and Employment Act, 2009, it expects to collect approximately Rs 65 crore per year.
All professionals such as doctors, lawyers, consultants, architects, hoteliers, vehicle dealers, builders, civil engineers, chartered accountants, brokers, sub-brokers and all such other professionals will have to register for administering different tax slabs based on income per month.
Also one-time charge of Rs 5,000 will have to be paid for registration of these professionals besides, monthly tax ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 350 depending on five income brackets.
In an effort to discourage the Goan youth from entering casinos, the Chief Minister proposed to increase the entry fee for all casinos from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000 per person so as to collect the additional revenue of Rs 36.50 crore per year. It also proposed to increase licence fee of casino from the existing Rs 25,000 to Rs 10 lakh.
Kamat intends to intervene with the Central government to propose that the new Zuari bridge be a ‘signature bridge’ which would be an attraction in itself and that the best international consultants design the bridge. The government proposes that this bridge be the Golden Jubilee Bridge in Goa’s 50th year of celebration.
The government also proposes to take up an ambitious project - Dona Paula to Vasco sea link bridge across Arabian sea on Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode on Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. For this the government has made a provision of Rs 100 crore in the additional budget and would avail crucial 20 per cent of the project cost in the form of Viability Gap Fund from the Ministry of Finance.
The government hopes to collect substantial revenue of Rs 20 crore per year on entry toll on vehicles barring two wheelers entering the state. It also expect an additional revenue collection of Rs 5 crore by enhancing infrastructure tax from present level of rs 50 per square metre to Rs 100 per square metre on domestic and from Rs 150 to Rs 250 on commercial.
The government proposes to charge Rs 20 per cubic metre for water drawn and used for commercial purposes mainly in industrial areas and construction sites. It also proposes to enhance the existing ‘library cess’ on liquor from 50 paise to 75 paise per bulk litre. It also proposes to increase the duty on mild beer from the existing Rs 9 per bulk liter to Rs 10 per bulk litre.
The government proposes to increase the rate of transportation of coal and coke from Rs 50 per metric ton to Rs 250 per metric ton and also extended the transportation charge to movement of inflammable and hazardous materials. It also expects to generate additional revenue of Rs 7 crore by proposing to enhance the port charges, mooring charges, cargo dues, tonnage dues, transhippers, etc.
The government also proposes to grant Rs 15 lakh to Konkani Bhasha Mandal for their activities and Rs 15 lakh to Vishwa Konkani Parishad for their contribution and propagation of the Konkani language and also for establishing a Vishwa Konkani Kendra, which is the first of its kind in the country. A provision of Rs 30 lakh has been made in the additional budget.
The government also plans to hold the celebration of the Birth Centenary Year of the first Chief Minister late Bhausaheb Bandodkar from March 12, 2010 to March 12, 2011 by holding various activities. A state-level committee is being constituted for this purpose.
The Chief Minister proposed to operationalise a scheme to give financial assistance to tiny entrepreneurs such as ‘padeli’, ‘rennder’, ‘khajekar’, ‘fougeri’, ‘chanekar’, ‘podders’ and others so as to help them to sustain their occupation and provide and impetus for revival of these traditional skills.
A provision of Rs 24 lakh has been made for setting up a common facility centre for cashew processing cluster at Morpilla in Quepem while, a provision of Rs 1 crore for organising a trade fair exhibition for micro, small and medium enterprises as well as large industries in Goa so that a face to face dialogue is facilitated and maximum outsourcing by large units is done from the SME sector in Goa.
The government has provided Rs 8 crore for beach safety programme under phase II and further provision of Rs 3 crore or the beach-cleaning scheme.
ADDITIONAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
Proposal to tax mining industry at Rs 30 per tonne of rejects.
One-time charge of Rs 5,000 to be levied on registration of professionals
Casino licence fee to be hiked from existing Rs 25,000 to Rs 10 lakh
Entry fee for all casinos to increase from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000
Proposal for the new Zuari bridge tobe made a ‘signature bridge’
Dona Paula to Vasco sea link bridge across Arabian sea on Private Public Partnership (PPP)
Hike in duty on mild beer from Rs 9 per bulk liter to Rs 10
Rs 15 lakh each grant to Konkani Bhasha Mandal and Vishwa Konkani Parishad
