Andhra Pradesh: honest taxpayers equal to soldiers guarding the nation, says Finance Minister

‘Trade Advisory Committee formed to discuss the problems of taxpayers and to bridge the gap between the taxpayers and commercial tax officers’

Minister for Finance, Planning and Commercial Taxes Buggana Rajendranath has described traders and industrialists, paying taxes in time, as equal to soldiers guarding the nation from enemies on the borders.

He participated as the chief guest at the Trade Advisory Committee Meeting, held by the Commercial Taxes Department, at the VMRDA Children’s Arena here, on Friday evening. Stakeholders from various trades, commercial establishments, real estate, hospitality, representatives of various associations and Chartered Accountants participated in the meeting.

Addressing the stakeholders, Mr. Rajendranath said that revenue was vital to run the government, and traders and industrialists, who pay their taxes in time, were true patriots. He said that the Trade Advisory Committee was formed to discuss the problems of taxpayers and to bridge the gap between the taxpayers and commercial tax officers. The committee would meet once in three months and discuss about the problems of stakeholders and take their suggestions.

Special Chief Secretary S.S. Rawat said that no development could be taken up by any government without revenue from taxes. He said that the department was committed to protect the interests of honest taxpayers and to provide better services to them.

Chief Commissioner of State Tax M. Girija Shankar said that the Trade Advisory Committee was the brainchild of the Mr. Rajendranath. The committee had already held meetings in Anantapur and Chittoor and they had evoked good response from the stakeholders and they had given constructive suggestions. The Minister has taken up restructuring of the department by opening new Circles and Divisions apart from opening a new Regional Office in Visakhapatnam. He said that the Commercial Taxes Department was one of the main contributors to Andhra Pradesh getting the number 1 position in Ease Of Doing Business (EODB) for the last three years.

Representatives of various sectors apprised the Minister of the problems pertaining to payment of taxes due to procedural issues.