Jammu, Jan 14: Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather today said the government was expecting Rs 5,500 crore tax revenue this fiscal.
 "The tax revenue was all set to touch a new high of Rs 5,500 crore this fiscal, which is more than double of Rs 2,600 crore recorded in 2009", he said.
 The minister was speaking at an interactive meeting of the senior officers and field staff of Commercial Taxes Department (CTD) here today.
 The minister congratulated the Excise and Commercial Taxes departments for showing excellent performance consecutively for the last four years.
 Rather called for evolving more realistic and practical strategies to bring more reforms in the tax management system in the state and said even amendment of the existing taxation laws should be considered if the need arises.
 Asking the officers to discharge their duties without any fear,
 Rather, according to an official statement, said there shall be zero interference in their matters as long as they discharge legitimate duties honestly.
 He also assured that the much needed reorganisation of the CTD was on cards to provide better safeguards to the service interests of the employees as well as managing the main power deficiency in the department.
 Rather announced that 100 per cent computerisation of the Commercial Taxes Department would be started from April 2013.
 He added that that will be a revolutionary initiative of the present government towards making tax collection mechanism for both traders as well as employee-friendly.
 It would also help in further improving the performance of CTD, increase tax revenue and enforce much needed transparency in the overall taxation system, Rather said.
 Rather also congratulated the officers and employees of the Finance Department for commissioning of the Rs 42.58 crore state of the art New Toll Plaza at Lakhanpur yesterday.
 It will go a long way in providing better working conditions to the employees, checking tax evasion due to its in-built scientific monitoring mechanism and Management Information System (MIS), he added.
 Rather said the modern toll plaza will also help in maintaining export and import figures accurately and called for ensuring its maintenance on regular basis.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST