Team Herald
VALPOI: The fund-starved Valpoi Municipal Council (VMC) has hiked the house tax by ten per cent to generate revenue.
“The house tax has been revised after five years,” said a VMC official.
“By increasing the taxes, the VMC will be able to provide quality services to its citizens,” Chief Officer Cynthia Mesquita said.
“We have also asked all professionals like doctors, chartered accountants, advocates to register their trade licences as we have found that many are operating without trade licences in the municipal jurisdiction,” she added.
“To my surprise many banks are operating without registering with municipality,” Mesquita said.
When asked what action would be initiated for operating without the trade licence, she said, “I have given instructions to the inspectors to seal the outlets.”
When asked when the theatre housed in the VMC building would be thrown open to general public, Mesquita said that the GSUDA has not handed over the theatre to the council till date.
Meanwhile, the Valpoi residents have expressed anger over the ten percent hike in house tax.
“The municipality has totally failed in collecting rent from shopkeepers and that’s why they have hiked the house tax. We will not keep quit. We will lead a morcha to VMC in the coming days,” said a local.
