PANAJI: The members of the state legislative assembly unanimously supported the Goa Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017 (GST), which was passed by them on Tuesday, albeit with an advice to the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to take caution about certain aspects in the iconic taxation legislation.
The leader of the opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, speaking during discussion on the Bill said that the Bill is a good piece of legislation and the Congress will therefore support it.
He also lamented that awareness as regards the Bill, which should have happened earlier, did not happen.
Stating that he was happy to observe the long awaited Bill finally seeing the light of the day, the former chief minister and senior Congress leader, Pratapsingh Rane maintained that there are more than 174-odd Sections in the Bill. “I don’t know whether all members have read the Bill or not,” he quipped, adding that one of the clauses in the legislation gives unlimited powers to any officer appointed by the Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner of the department of commercial taxes, to enter any premises and search it, if something improper is suspected.
“The officer should have been defined,” Rane observed, pointing out, the legislation however is good and will stop multiplicity of taxation.
The Chief Minister, responding to the concern of Rane stated that the said officer can be defined under the rules to be formulated for the legislation.
The former chief minister and another senior Congress leader, Digambar Kamat recalled that he, as a member of the empowered committee for preparation of the GST Bill, had worked with other members on the panel.
“There will be teething problems for this legislation,” he predicted, adding that nevertheless, in a developing country, uniform taxation is a must, further observing that the interest of marginal traders have to be protected in the new taxation regime.
Another former chief minister and senior Congress leader, Ravi Naik said that Goan people have been crushed under various taxes. He also inquired as to whether the revenue from the casinos in the state would go to Centre or remain with the state, under the GST regime.
Replying to his query, Parrikar said that entry tickets to the casinos will be subsumed, 50 per cent to the state exchequer and 50 per cent to the Centre.
“We however would still be able to charge the licence fees from the casinos,” he added, pointing out that the state received an annual revenue to the tune of Rs 450 crore by way of entry tax, majority of which amounting to Rs 300 crore comes from the Zuari Agro Chemicals.
Yet another former chief minister and the president of the state Congress unit, Luizinho Faleiro pointed out that the GST Bill was the concept of the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
Supporting the Bill, he said that it would cut inflation, rationalise the regime of indirect taxes, and benefit the common man as well as industry.
The city MLA, Sidharth Kunkalienkar said that Goa being a consumption state would be largely benefited from the new taxation system.
Legislators including former chief minister, Churchill Alemao, Nilesh Cabral and Rajesh Patnekar also spoke on the Bill.