Team Herald

PANJIM: The Excise Department has achieved Rs 487.69 crore approx of its Rs 475.28 crore target for the last financial year (FY).

The 2.06% growth in revenue collection is recorded even as Goa came under strict lockdown from March 22, ten days before the financial year ended.

“An approx Rs 487.69 crore was recorded as against the target of Rs 475.28 in the FY 2019-20. It is a 2.06% growth,” Excise Commissioner Amit Satija told Herald. on being contacted for details on revenue collection for the last FY. Notwithstanding the ongoing lockdown phase, the department has set a target of around Rs 548 crore for the current FY.

The Stat’se excise revenue is one of the major contributors to the State’s exchequer. After mining ban since 2012, dependence on Tourism sector increased but with COVID-19 pandemic, Goa’s tourism projects has taken a major beating.

According to the data, revenue earned for the month of March 2020 was Rs 45 crore approx, nearly 18 crore less than the total collection of Rs 63 crore approx in the corresponding month of previous year. Similarly, April 2020, wherein no sale of liquor was recorded due to the lockdown, revenue was generated only through license fees, fines and other forms of taxes. The corresponding month of last year, on the other hand, recorded Rs 26 crore approx.

With Goa in the Green Zone, the lockdown relaxation was further eased by allowing liquor sale from May 4. However, the consumption is likely to drop by 70% as tourists are major consumers.

Herald, in its edition on Tuesday, reported about the possibility of low sale. At the same time, the existing stock is also likely to exhaust soon.