Team Herald
PANJIM: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has decided to impose trade and occupation fees for professional and other coaching classes, stock brokers, financial management companies, music and dance classes and gymnasiums, which are operational within its jurisdiction, from the forthcoming financial year 2019-20 onwards.
CCP Commissioner Ajit Roy, IAS, on Thursday presented a Rs 2.32 crore revenue deficit budget for the FY 2019-20, which is lower compared to Rs 5 crore last year. The total budget layout is Rs 132.24 crore. An amount of Rs 7 crore is earmarked for the development of the city.
The opening balance for the upcoming year stood at Rs 70.77 crore. The estimated total revenue expenditure is Rs 79,83,62,300 (Rs 72.83cr) while the receipts are at Rs 77,51,09,00 (Rs 77.51cr). Corporation has decided not to levy any additional tax.
However, City Mayor Vithal Chopdekar said that once the dues from companies, that have been granted permissions for road cutting is recovered, the budget will go into surplus. For the upcoming year, the corporation would charge Rs 30,000 rent per month.
As per the Budget figures, CCP has to shell out almost 27 per cent (Rs 37 crore) of its budget towards regular salaries, daily wages, honorarium to Mayor and Corporators, pension, contribution to salary reserve fund, retirement benefits and other staff welfare benefits. Apart from this, Rs 27.49 lakh are earmarked for loans and advances to staff.
It has been proposed to spend almost Rs 1.07 crore towards security charges and another Rs 63 lakh towards electricity and water charges.
House tax collection is the largest sources of income for the Corporation as it expects revenue of around Rs 17.40 crore for the year. This is followed by Rs 3.90 crore towards building permission fees, Rs 2.50 crore towards trade licence, Rs 1.78 crore towards advertisements and signboards, Rs 2.50 crore in form of octroi amongst others.
Further, the Corporation in its meeting resolved to impose trade and occupation fees on all those businesses, which were until now not covered under the fee structure. The office of stock brokers, financial management companies, mutual funds, etc, will have to pay fee of Rs 50,000 per month and sanitation charges of Rs 1000 per month.
An amount of Rs 5000 per month will be also imposed on offices of professional lawyers, doctors, architects, engineers, etc.
The corporation has also decided that the signboard fees for live display boards up to 5 sq mtrs would be charged Rs 50,000 and above that Rs 5000 per sq mtrs. This is basically for large businesses like that of casinos.
Also, the transfer fee or trade and occupation licences within family members will be charged Rs 2000 while outside family it would be Rs 10,000.
