BANGALORE: In a move to improve its financial position, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is considering a proposal to join hands with the Commercial Tax Department for the issue and renewal of trade licences.Though the idea is still in a nascent stage, BBMP officials are hopeful that this would ‘better organise’ the issue and renewal of trade licences which has long been a neglected topic by commercial establishments. Since VAT has to be renewed every year by the Commercial Tax Department, the BBMP is trying to issue trade licences at the same time to bring everyone under the tax net.The BBMP had speculated a total of nearly 5 lakh trading establishments in its jurisdiction but stated that only 49,000 licences were renewed in 2010-11 raking in `18 crore. However, it could not be reached despite many efforts by holding drives across all divisions.According to the BBMP, there are 75 different types of trades listed with them. Officials informed that the numbers of trade licences is increasing steadily in newly added areas of the city, but most of the licences are in the Central Business District (CBD). Meanwhile, Commercial Tax Commissioner Pradeep Singh Kharola said that he has not been informed of any such proposal, but said that there could be coordination at the lower level in this regard. He clarified that not all trades identified by the Palike fall under tax department’s purview but said that they have nearly 1,50,00 VAT registered establishments in all of their six divisions in the city which operate above `5 lakh. “If the proposal is taken forward, it can be easily coordinated since it is all digitised,” he said.
Comments
0 comment