HYDERABAD: Principal Secretary Commercial Taxes Somesh Kumar said that the State had recorded 20 per cent growth during the GST regime, which was reportedly one of the highest in the country. Participating in the State Commercial Taxes Department conference on Thursday, Somesh Kumar said that 1,319 employees of the department acted as officials in charge for collections of GST returns successfully and the State had recorded 20 per cent growth, one of the highest in the country. Around 1,600 delegates from all over the State from the ranks of junior assistants to that of Additional Commissioner attended the conference.
Somesh Kumar said that the objective of the conference was to look back on the past one year of GST experience, celebrate the successful GST transition and increased revenue under GST plan for next six months, return back with clear vision of goals and motivation to achieve them. He said that the CT Department contributes 74 per cent of the State’s own revenue.
He said that the officials of CT Department adapted well to their new roles set by GST holding hands of Tax Payers during and after transition to the GST system through interactions and meetings. Finance principal secretary K Ramakrishna Rao said that TS ranked third in the country in State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) after the bifurcation of the State. “There were apprehension over the revenue collections on formation of Telangana State which were proved wrong as the State recorded high GDP growth as well as high growth in per capita income,” he added.
Chief Secretary SK Joshi said that the work done by the CT Department was the best. “Indirect taxes being main sources of revenue for the State, the CT Department has always risen to occasion every time it was called upon,” Joshi said. The Chief Secretary also appreciated the transparent process of transfers in the department.