TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The State government on Wednesday decided to roll back/revise the passenger tax on stage carrier which were increased during Budget 2013-14 even as it sought to save a loss of around Rs 11.60 crore annually at its cabinet meeting held Wednesday.
Bowing down to the pressure from the private bus operators, the cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to the Goa Motor Vehicles Taxation on Passengers and Goods (Amendment) Bill 2013. This bill would be presented during the ongoing Legislative Assembly session and the amendment is likely to cause a loss of Rs 2.5 crore to the state exchequer annually.
The cabinet on Wednesday, by amending the Goa Public Libraries (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2013 empowered itself to collect library cess on Indian made foreign liquors and beer, in the form of surcharge on excise duty, validating the action of the Excise Department in charging library cess on export fee. This is payable for products outside the country. The cabinet gave its nod to the Bill, which is set to replace the Goa Public Library ordinance 2011. The Bill would be tabled during the ongoing winter session of the Legislative Assembly.
As per the amendment, government shall levy a library cess in the form of a surcharge on the excise duty payable under Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964 at the rate of 0.50 paisa per litre on Indian made foreign liquor and 0.50 paisa per bulk litre of beer.
Government claims to earn additional revenue of Rs 5 crore annually. Since 1997, when the cess was introduced, till August 2013, the Excise department had levied and collected Rs 43.79 crore.
In 2011, the rates were hiked from 0.75 paisa to one rupee. The erstwhile Congress government while enhancing the rates had said that the step
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was initiated to further strengthen the library movement in the State and to provide finance for its enhanced infrastructural development.
The move was, however, not welcomed by the liquor distributors, who had challenged the hike in a writ petition before High Court, pointing that the rates are erroneous and not in accordance with the law.
“To avoid any unfavourable order or directions from the Court it was required to amend the necessary Act and empower government to specify rates of library cess in form of surcharge on excise duty or other duty or any fees payable on various liquors under Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964,” the Bill stated.
The Cabinet while amending the Goa Motor Vehicles Taxation on Passengers and Goods (Amendment) Bill 2013 said that stage carriage buses will have to pay Rs 40 per seat per month as passenger tax as against Rs 50 as per the hiked rate earlier. For vehicles registered in Goa, the tax has been reduced to Rs 75 from the current Rs 100 per seat per month, while for the vehicles registered outside Goa the passenger tax is fixed at Rs 300.
In case of buses (tourist sleeper coach), registered in Goa, the rates have been reduced to Rs 200 from the existing Rs 250, while for those registered outside State the rate is reduced to Rs 800 as against Rs 1,200 per seat per passenger.
For maxi cabs, the rates have been fixed at Rs 100.
Government in its amendment to the Bill has stated: the bus owners associations, tourist coaches association and other such organization have made representation against hike and after having a detailed discussion with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, it was felt that ‘the rates if implemented will cause unhealthy competition besides burdening the bus operators on payment of various taxes’.
