PANJIM: The State government on Thursday announced to waive off pre-Goods and Services Tax (GST) arrears amounting to Rs 48.5 crore of around 16,412 traders under one-time settlement (OTS) scheme.
Addressing a press conference at Mantralaya, Porvorim, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said as the issue was pending for a long time (since 2016 till date), the government has introduced the OTS scheme.
He said the traders can download their waiver certificate from the website of Department of State Tax, Government of Goa.
The Chief Minister said with the objective of moving ahead in the GST regime with lesser baggage of arrears and litigations, the State government had launched the OTS scheme in October last year.
The last date to clear the pending dues to seek benefits under the scheme is March 7, 2024, the Chief Minister said, adding no further extension will be granted.
Sawant said the OTS has been offered under the Goa (Recovery of Arrears of Tax, Interest, Penalty, Other Dues through Settlement) Act, 2023 (Goa Act 34 of 2023) or the GRATIPOS Act.
The Chief Minister said the scheme is applicable to the individuals who, in spite of facing financial challenges, cleared their income tax returns, GST and Value Added Tax (VAT) obligations.
Furthermore, those who paid an additional Rs 10,000 will also experience relief through a 50 per cent waiver, he said.
The Chief Minister said the initiative will not only benefit the 16,412 individuals directly involved into business but also contribute to the overall financial well-being of the State.
