VIJAYAWADA: Against the target of Rs 55,243 crore for the 2019-20 fiscal, the Commercial Taxes department has collected only Rs 43,332 crore. Though the amount appears low compared to the target, it is more than the amount collected in the 2018-19 fiscal.
In all, Rs 22,430.38 crore was generated as GST revenue, Rs 10,265.85 crore tax on petroleum products, Rs 10,403.84 crore tax on liquor (VAT) and Rs 232.37 crore towards professional tax in 2019-20.
In a statement issued on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister (Commercial Taxes and Excise) K Narayana Swamy said compared to Rs 43,053.92 crore collected in 2018-19 during the TDP regime, Rs 43,332.45 crore collected in 2019-20, the first fiscal of the YSRC government, is more by 0.65 per cent.
While other Southern States and Maharashtra witnessed 3 to 10 per cent drop in revenue collection and the entire nation was affected by the financial crisis, the commercial taxes department of Andhra Pradesh performed well and achieved better results in 2019-20 than 2018-19, the minister explained.
Scarcity of sand due to flooding of rivers for six months in 2019-20 had an adverse impact on the construction sector and other affiliated activities, which had a negative impact on commercial taxes, the minister said and added that employees of the department worked hard and placed Andhra Pradesh in the second place in South India in collection of the taxes.
As against Rs 10,915.69 crore generated on liquor in 2018-19, Rs 10,403.84 crore was collected in 2019-20, which is Rs 511.85 crore less because of the steps being taken up by the YSRC government as part of the imposing complete prohibition in the State in a phased manner.
Informing that Rs 51,689 crore revenue was targeted for the fiscal 2020-21, anticipating 19.69% growth, the minister said only Rs 2874.85 crore against the target of Rs 8319.44 crore was generated in April and May because of the COVID-induced lockdown.Anantapur, Eluru and Kakinada divisions stood in top three slots in revenue collections in 2019-20.
