VIJAYAWADA: Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath has said State’s GST collection is more than the Central GST collection. Speaking after inaugurating the regional GST Audit and Enforcement Office here on Friday, Buggana said the collection of taxes to the tune of Rs 28,103 crore in 2022-23 was the highest in the history of Andhra Pradesh.
Informing that several reforms introduced in the commercial taxes department as per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had started yielding good results, Buggana said inverted pyramid-like reforms were rolled out to ensure transparency and increase tax revenue.
Rubbishing the remarks of Opposition party leaders on the State revenue and tax collection, Buggana sought to know how the tax collection was increased in the past four years when their charges were true. He dared the Opposition leaders to come for an open debate on the financial condition of the State.
Claiming that the government is spending more money on roads, he said except for a few roads under the R&B Department, all other roads are in better condition. “There is also an increase in industrial development as the State on an average getting Rs 11,000 crore investments per year,” he explained.
Asserting that there is no halt in implementing the welfare schemes even in the Covid pandemic, the Finance Minister said the social security pensions are being paid to beneficiaries on the first day of the month at their doorstep. “Our government is putting sincere efforts in administration and development,” Buggana asserted. He lauded the efficiency of the commercial taxes department officials. State Taxes Chief Commissioner M Girija Shankar and Commissioner K Ravi Shankar and other officials were present.